Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth
by SCIK1012
Summary: To save Flanna from a degenerative disease, Finn Mertens must embark on a multidimensional quest, guided by the strange demon lady Marceline. But will leaving his family behind be the best decision? Especially with the mysterious arrival of the gold hunters to Junktown, who might cause the fiery Flanna to put her life at risk for the sake of her little daughter and her town.
1. The Mertens

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 1: The Mertens**

_Three baby spiders.  
Three bitty baby spiders.  
Were playing in the sun.  
The rain came down and it was no fun._

_Cry cry cry cry goo ga goo.  
Oh me, oh my eyes are raining too.  
The first spider drowned.  
He was never found…_

Her small fingers stroke the silver string that had been unraveled from its web by the autumn wind, causing the little spider on it to reel back and hide herself from her curious attacker. The girl giggled as she lay back, resting her head on her hands and continued with her singing. She stared at the now colorful spider web above her, never noticing the brown-haired boy that was approaching her from afar.

_The second spider cried,  
Til' he died.  
But the babiest of all,  
Splashed and had a ball._

_He grew up very tall and lived inside a wall.  
Sometimes the sun shines  
Even on baby spiders.  
And you!_

"Hey!" Called the boy as he panted tiredly with his knees bent and his head hung down. "Thank Goodness I found you! Why didn't you wait for me, huh?!"

The little girl blinked a couple of times and then rolled her body downwards to stare at him in confusion. "Did I do something… bad?" she asked with worry in her voice.

The boy rolled his blue eyes and sat next to her, "N-no…" he chuckled. "Oh c'mon! Wasting all of your uncle's patience every now and then is just part of a niece's job! Don't worry. Just…don't walk away from me again, okay?"

"All right! I promise, uncle Ben!" the girl exclaimed with a nod.

Ben got back on his feet again and scratched the back of his head before reaching out to grasp the girl's tiny hand and walk her back home. On the way, the young lad couldn't help to glance at his niece and smile at her. He was proud to be her uncle. After all, she was the daughter of Junktown's greatest hero, Finn Mertens. Surprisingly the little girl shared no resemblance whatsoever with the Mertens' family at all: the color of her short hair wasn't nor brown or blonde, her nose wasn't as lengthy or pointy as expected, she didn't even inherit the gleaming blue of her father's eyes. No, her physical traits came from the genes of another family. One that wasn't usually sighted near the humble surroundings of the countryside, making her look as unusual and remarkably unique as her mother. For no one in Junktown has ever possessed foreign characteristics such as bright green eyes and burning reddish locks.

"Why are we going home so early? I thought you were going to take me to _that _haunted spot, uncle Ben. You promised!"

Since when had the four-year-old kids become so interested in witches and spooks? The young farmer couldn't tell. However, his darling niece seemed to be quite excited and impatient about visiting the mysterious tunnels that he had found one week ago, while chasing a goat on the loose. The truth was that Ben didn't want to take her there, much less after being warned by his brother and threatened by his sister-in-law. Endangering that little girl's life would be like endangering one's own life, because obviously, having an encounter with an angry Flanna Hacksworth was definitively out of the question.

"Ben! Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?" the girl asked rather sharply.

"Listen, uh… young lady, those wet, dirty and stinky tunnels are not a safe place for little kids like you…" the farmer noticed an indignant frown on her face and came up with a better subject as fast as he could. "Besides, you know that your mom will be finally returning to Junktown in a few hours, right?"

Her young green eyes shone with excitement as soon as she heard the word "mom", and a spark of happiness ignited her smile. She had been waiting for her mother since she left Junktown and headed towards the city two weeks ago, to discuss some businesses matter. Suddenly, the little girl began to run around her uncle and then dashed rashly without any warning, leaving a very exasperated Ben Mertens behind.

Of course, he should have expected that reaction from her, but now it was too late for regret. Ben would have to summon more of his almost drained energy to catch up with the little rascal before something bad happened to her. Just one single scratch on that girl's skin would obviously mean trouble for him. Perhaps not with Finn, but Flanna was certainly going to give him a verbal beat up if her little girl gets hurt somehow.

"W-wait up!" the farmer shouted. "You'd better come back here, kiddo!"

A short figure happened to walk by just as the two youngsters left the spot. She crouched down slowly, taking care of her aching knees, and picked up a rotten apple from the ground. Then, she pulled her old brown hat a little bit forward to protect her eyes from the painful sunlight, at least until they got used to the brightness of the day. It was unusual for her to be outside on such an early time of the day, but her hunger and a strange sensation of confidence, had led her to leave the comforting darkness of her lair to wander along the surface for a while.

_The first spider drowned.  
He was never found…_

_The second spider cried,  
Til' he died!  
_

"Hehe, that's my favorite part!" Marceline sang, and then incrusted her sharp fangs on the decayed fruit to pull out one big juicy chunk from it with her peckish bite.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, a very well known gang had just assaulted a carriage in the middle of the road that connected Junktown with the rest of the world. Of course, since that was the only access to the town it was logical that all the traveling merchants had to cross that route if they wanted to sell or exchange their goods with other foreign towns, and even with the city, or just bring new products to the Junktown's market. And of course, since said road was located in the middle of nowhere, it was the perfect spot for all kinds of thieves and bandits to fish themselves a valuable prize. Hence, it was obvious that the Destiny Gang would always be hanging out around there.

"Yo, Tromo! Did ya get somethin' good?" asked Trami, using his large hammer to break open the carriage's trunk.

The black-haired thug was somewhat busy, searching on the scared passengers' pockets for some coins or jewelry. "No! I can't believe it, these guys ain't got nothin'!" he muttered.

"Shut up guys, look out!" yelled Trumo, who was standing on Tremi's shoulders as he watched over the horizon, searching for more victims. "Someone's comin'! Let go of those losers and hide, now!"

Tromo and Trami did as said hesitantly and released their firm grips on the terrified merchants, who took their chance to retrieve their belongings and ran away as fast as they could. Then, the four burglars hid behind some bushes and waited patiently for their next victim as they kept a vigilant eye on him. It was nothing but a lonely rider, mounting a white horse with a bright golden mane. The rider didn't seem to be a strong guy, although he was wearing a red cloak to cover his face from the cold breeze, so it was rather hard to tell if he was tough enough to travel by his own across such a dangerous road, or if he was just a very stupid dude.

"This one looks like an easy prey, huh?" Tremi whispered.

"Don't be so confident! What if he's carrying a weapon or somethin'?!" growled Tromo.

"This is so confusing…" sighed Trami. "Everything would be a lot easier if Big-D were here…"

"Oh c'mon, guys! Forget about Big Destiny already!" Trumo yelled. "He lost his bold spirit a long time ago! Just get over it!"

"Shut yer mouths, here comes our victim!" warned Tromo. "Get ready to ambush!"

As he approached the woody area of the road, the white horse made a sudden stop, backing away from the bushes and alerting his rider in the process.

"Whoa! What's wrong, Stormo? Is someone there?" the soft feminine voice of his rider inquired curiously, as she held his reins tightly in an attempt to calm the white steed down. "Huh?"

Her ears caught the faint sound of a group of whispers, arguing between each other. To tell the truth, it was as if a bunch of guys were "quietly screaming" at the same time. It didn't take her long to recognize those voices and sigh in resignation.

"C'mon, show yourselves!" she demanded, "I know you're there, Destiny Gang!"

"It can't be, she saw right through our fabulous disguise!" the gang gasped in astonishment. "Hold on a second… SHE?!"

"You guys think I was born yesterday or what?!" the rider yelled as she swung her hood down to reveal her freckled face and her long russet hair.

"Yikes! It's her, the Firefly!" the Destiny Gang squeaked in horror, letting their terrified eyes jump out of their sockets. "F-Flanna! She's back!"

"S'up? Long time no see!" the red-haired girl said with a mischievous smirk.

**x~x~x~x~x**

"Daddy!" Called a voice in the distance, which caused the bear-capped farmer to forget about the turnips that he was harvesting, and focus on the incoming child that was dashing towards him.

"Huh? Now wha–hey!" a somewhat shocked Finn exclaimed, shortly after his little girl crashed against him on purpose and attached herself tightly onto his leg, while she whined and sobbed uncontrollably. "Wuh… What's wrong? Did ya scrape your knee or somethin'? Does your tummy hurt? Did Jake scare you again?"

"No…" his daughter sobbed, "Uncle Ben is being a jerk again!"

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"No!" his young brother's voice cried as he arrived to the scene, all covered in sweat and with a very agitated look on his face. "Don't listen…to…her…! You can't buy that, bro! She's one smart brat and she knows how to turn you against me!"

Finn rolled his eyes in an attempt to control his laughter. "All right, what's going on here? Where's the fire?" he joked.

"Daddy, Ben promised to take me to a cool place and now he doesn't wanna!"

"Bro, I can't take her there!" Ben complained, and then whispered, _"It's a dangerous place!"_

"Take who where, huh?" asked another voice behind them.

Finn Mertens softened his smile as he laid his blue eyes on his wife and waved at her, letting his brother and his daughter notice her, as she dismounted Stormo's back. The little girl lost no time in letting go of her father's leg to rush towards her mother's embrace. Flanna received her in her arms and lifted her excitedly as they both shared a tight hug.

"I missed you mommy!"

"And I missed you too, Milli…" Flanna whispered and then kissed her forehead.

"Hey! What about me? Didn't ya miss me?!" her husband complained jokingly.

"Not really!" she lied.

"As if…" Finn replied, leaning forward to kiss her lips.

Ben walked away a little, feeling somewhat uncomfortable by the scene and took a seat next to the good old Jake. The golden bulldog opened his tired eyes slowly and wagged his short tail softly as he headed towards the happy couple, seeking some love from the newly arrived Flanna.

"Aw… you wanna say hi as well, Jake? Of course you do!" the young woman chuckled as she leaned down to scratch the dog's belly. "Of course you do! You old and lovely fur ball!"

**x~x~x~x~x**

It didn't take long before Mrs. Mertens and Mr. Mertens had arrived to welcome Flanna from her trip to the city. They all gathered inside Finn and Flanna's place and sat at the living room, hoping to hear good news from the young woman as they all drank a smoky cup of coffee.

"Sorry if it took me longer than expected..." Flanna apologized. "The Destiny Gang delayed me a bit, but it was no big deal."

"Heh, without Big Destiny by their side, anyone can take those guys down on his own!" Finn laughed.

"So, how was it?" Mrs. Mertens asked with her always warm smile. "Did you make it?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so…" Flanna replied calmly.

"What do you mean by that? C'mon get serious!" Finn demanded impatiently, with a wide grin. "Did they like your book or not?"

"Well…" Flanna remained in silence for a few seconds. "They loved it! My agent says that it won't be hard to publish my work; there are already several publishers that have accepted my submission and are waiting to negotiate the purchase of the manuscript."

"Will that make you rich?" Mr. Mertens asked.

"I…don't think so…" Flanna shrugged. "But the money will certainly come in handy, and who knows? Maybe this could be the start of a great career…"

"And then you'll be rich?" Mr. Mertens asked again.

"Hey! Cut that already, will you?!" Mrs. Mertens scowled, hitting her husband's ribs with her elbow. "Why don't you focus on what really matters? This is a successful event for the family, and it's all thanks to Flanna's hard work."

"I would say that this is all thanks to Miss Bonnibel, without her support —and her typing machine, of course— I wouldn't have been able to make it this far... I mean, she even lent me one of her horses! That Stormo was as fast as a truck, I tell you!" Flanna smiled. "I can't thank her enough for all her help… I wish she were here with us today…"

Bonnibel B. Hamilton, the always benevolent school teacher of Junktown had acquired a new hobby for herself, rather than reading or calculating the mass of every object in her house. Bonnibel had decided that she wanted to do something that would let her understand and share the everyday life of the townsfolk. So, after asking her parents for some loan, Miss Bonnibel managed to open her own farm, which was strictly dedicated to breed racing horses of the best quality. Sadly, the work on her ranch in combination with her teaching labor consumed most of her time, and therefore she was rarely seen around the town.

"Mom?" Milli called, pulling her mother's skirt. "Won't Miss Bonnibel come to my birthday party?"

Flanna smiled, "Oh, you're right! She promised that she wasn't going to miss your party for anything in the world. And Miss Bonnibel always fulfills her promises." She stroke her daughter's hair and then got up from her seat. "I'm going to get me some water, please excuse me."

"Oh! I would like some water too!" Mrs. Mertens said as she made an attempt to stand up. "Ow, my back!"

"Hold on, mom…" Finn suggested. "I can go get it for you, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks son…"

Milli stared at Mrs. Mertens in confusion and then laughed, "Grandma is too old!"

"And you're too disrespectful, little lady!" Her father remarked in disapproval.

"Oh… Sorry Grandma…"

Finn rolled his eyes and patted his daughter's head softly before sending her out to play. Then, he walked inside the kitchen and proceeded to search for a clean glass for his mother. He peeked inside the cupboard, but there were no more glasses to use in there. The only option he had left was to grab one from the sink and wash it. Finn let the water flow as he used the slippery sponge to get rid of the filth inside it. It wasn't a hard job, however, when your right hand is some sort of mechanic claw, accidents tend to happen every so often.

"Holy—! Cow…!" the farmer cried shortly after his glass had slipped away from his grip, and crashed against the floor. "Ugh…"

His blue eyes drifted towards his wife, expecting her to react in surprise, anger or laughter, but she didn't. Flanna remained static as she stared at the fields through the kitchen's window, holding her half-empty glass of water in her hands.

"F-Flanna… Are you all right?" Finn asked in concern. "You look tense…"

"Finn…" she whispered. "Have you heard any rumors about Junktown's gold?"

"Junktown's gold?" he replied curiously. "No, never."

"That's what I thought… No one here knows about it, but still…" Flanna turned to face her husband with a conflicted stare in her eyes. "While I was at the city, I overheard that some folks were planning to come to our lands, hoping to dig some gold."

"But there's no gold here, right?" Finn replied nervously. "And even if there were, well, they would have destroy our fields to dig it. Nobody would allow that, right?"

Flanna placed her glass on the sink and crossed her arms, her features were depicting insecurity. "I don't know… I have a strange feeling, Finn. Something's not right."

The farmer walked towards his wife and held her shoulders tightly. "Hey, don't worry. Maybe you're just tired because of the journey… Or maybe you're just feeling stressed because of the city's environment. You have never liked it there, have you?" he caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand and guided her face towards the window once again. "Don't think about it anymore, besides, Milli's birthday is just around the corner! That would surely cheer you up!"

Flanna passed her arm around Finn's shoulder and pulled him closer. "You know what? You're right. Perhaps I'm just letting my worries mess up my brain… I should be glad I'm finally home with Milli and with you, Finn."

"And I should be glad to have you back, Flanna." Finn whispered, drawing her towards him.

Their lips joined in a tender kiss.

"I'm sorry, why is it taking you so long to bring me some water, son?" Mrs. Mertens' voice echoed from the living room.

"Oh, c'mon! Mom!" the young man complained childishly, not being able to enjoy Flanna's affection in peace.


	2. Lil' Flare

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 2: Lil' Flare**

She couldn't understand why she had spent so many years sleeping on the cold ground, when all she had to do was to venture into the junkyard for a few minutes and pull out an old mattress from it. Perhaps it was because her old back didn't feel like a heavy piece of lead back then, but in any case, Marceline felt satisfied about having found something comfortable to sleep on. "Better later than never…!" she muttered. The old half-demon lady had no time to lose; she buried her claws on the torn and dirty cushion that was now going to be her bed, and began to drag it behind her across the woods.

Her tired eyes were rolled up towards the twilit skies above her, following the chirping of the many birds that were searching for a suitable tree to perch themselves on and rest their wings. The day was coming to an end. As the sun slipped out of the horizon, the cold winds began to blow, accompanied by the music of eager crickets and the distant neighs and mooing of the nearby livestock.

It took her around thirty minutes to arrive to the entrance of the abandoned subway that served her as home. Marceline gulped silently, refusing to believe that her pace had grown slower during the last ten years. Her youth had been taken away a long time ago. However, she couldn't complain, for she had enjoyed six hundred years of youth and beauty. Six hundred years, in which she devoted herself to look after Simon's body, protecting the crown from being taken away from its master's head.

"Whatev's…" the demon lady muttered as she walked down the stairs. "Simon, I'm home!" she greeted, not really expecting an answer. Used to be alone, Marceline would have never expected to find a lit lantern shinning deep within her lair. But there it was, filling her cold dark home with its dim warmth. The old woman decided to approach the forgotten object, clenching her fangs in anger. "An intruder…!" she hissed.

"Where?!" the voice of a small child echoed behind her.

Marceline spun towards it, ready to hit whoever was behind her with her sharp claws. Once facing her target, the old demon lady became unable to land a blow on it. "W-wh-what are you doin' here?!" she inquired in astonishment. Of all the things that Marceline could have encountered in her lair, why did it have to be a four-year-old kid? And of all the children in Junktown, why did it have to be Finn and Flanna's daughter?

"Oh, c'mon!" the half-demon woman growled. "If this is some kind of joke, by all means, it's not funny!"

"Who are you talking to, ma'am?" the small girl asked, noticing that the old woman before her was raising her fist upwards and was yelling to the ceiling.

"I'm just telling Simon what I think of him and his stupid—…!" Marceline trailed off. "Wait! I don't have to explain this to some puny brat! Leave my lair now, or I'll… I'll… I'll eat you!" she hissed, trying to be as scary as she could.

Milli blinked in confusion. "Eat me?" the girl repeated, tilting her head sideways. "Don't you wanna have a slice of cake instead?"

Marceline reeled back in frustration, that little girl didn't even whimper! Was she really getting that old? Could a thousand years really rust her demonic skills that much? "A slice of…w-what?" she asked, still in shock.

The red-haired child squeezed her lips in, feeling a little bit frustrated as well. She just offered that weird old woman a piece of cake; there was nothing difficult to understand about it. It was that simple. Even her grandfather Mertens was quicker than her to understand the word "cake." It wasn't a long word that she couldn't pronounce like "litterateur" or "transcendentalism", the kind of words that her mother would repeat all the time whenever she sat behind her typing machine.

Milli exhaled an exhausted sigh and proceeded to open the small brown satchel that hung from her left shoulder. "Look, mom and dad made me a birthday party yesterday. All my friends and family were there, even Grandpa Hacksworth arrived from the city! He brought me a lot of cool things, but I noticed that Grandpa Mertens became a little jealous of his gifts, 'cause he can't buy me expensive stuff… Grandpa Mertens doesn't like Grandpa Hacksworth very much…I think…"

Marceline just stood there, listening to that kid speak about a bunch of things that she didn't even care to hear. All she wanted was to figure why was that child acting so confidently around her. Didn't she know who Marceline was? Hadn't that girl ever heard of the terrifying Junktown Demon? Parents were supposed to always tell their kids that story if they didn't want to go to bed early!

"Grandma baked it…" said Milli, offering Marceline a small slice of cake. "And Miss Tea Hanks helped with the cover. It has vanilla flavor and strawberries on top, you see?"

Marceline received the cake, still staring at Milli as if she were some kind freakish goblin that had just escaped from the Nightosphere. "Why aren't you scared of me?!" she growled, not being able to contain her curiosity any longer. For Marceline, demanding an explanation from a four-year-old was just as humiliating as getting a mattress from the junkyard, however, her pride had already fallen that deep."Look at me! I'm an evil demon! With fangs and claws! The whole freak show!"

"That's what uncle Ben and the other kids always say…" Milli replied. "But mom says that different people are always being misjudged by others… and that… um… I forgot, but it had something do with being nice to everyone. Even if they are weird and ugly like you."

"Great… A child just told me that I'm weird and ugly…" Marceline sighed, raising her gaze upwards. "Is that all you wanted, Simon?"

"Who is Simon?" the red-haired girl asked.

"What do you care, little pest?" the half-demon woman answered in annoyance. "Get out of my lair! Now! Shoo!"

"Fine…" Milli whispered in sadness.

She walked towards the stairs at the entrance of the abandoned subway with her small head hung down in disappointment. However, the red-haired child decided to pull another piece of cake out of her satchel and placed it on a nearby table before leaving. Marceline observed that action with curiosity, trying to understand the little girl's motives to do something like that.

"Hey!" the old woman called. "What's that piece of cake for?"

Milli turned around to face her and smiled nervously. "It's for Simon, the ceiling. The girl explained pointing her finger upwards.

Marceline couldn't understand why, but those words managed to fill her old lonely heart with tenderness. The demon lady scratched the back of her head as she shook it softly. "Simon is not the ceiling, kid…" she sighed. "Come."

**x~x~x~x~x**

The little girl felt nervous at first, but she accepted Marceline's invitation to sit on the floor with her, and eat the two slices of cake together. "Do you have a name?" Milli asked while she chewed her slice.

"I am Marceline." The old woman said. "And that pile of bones over there is my dear friend, Simon Petrikov."

Milli followed Marceline's shaky finger until her green eyes fell upon the crushed skeleton that lay at the back of the abandoned subway. The girl gasped in astonishment, impressed by the size of the frozen bomb that rested on top of Simon's body. "W-what's that?!"

"A bomb." The black-haired woman replied dully. "The only thing in the world with the power to erase humanity from existence… It's an evil object, just like that golden crown on Simon's head." Marceline swallowed her piece of cake and sent a serious glare to the child sitting next to her. "You must never tell anyone about it, understood?! Or I swear I'll hunt your nightmares forever!"

"W-why would I do that?" Milli said, her small body shivering with fear. "That thing is scary!"

"That's normal… After all, both the bomb and the Crown tortured your parents' very existence once… in an alternate dimension." Marceline explained, enjoying the fact that the girl was naturally implied to be afraid of such objects. Milli had never seen a bomb in her life, yet she recognized it as something dreadful as soon as she had it in front of her. Perhaps, a part of that terrible experience had remained within Finn and Flanna's subconscious perception and it was somehow transmitted to their kid at the moment in which she was conceived.

"What?" the small girl asked, not being able to understand anything.

"Forget it, you're too young to get it…" Marceline said. "I just wanted to warn you, that's why I'm telling you this. That crown must never leave this cave, understood?"

"Poor Simon…" Milli sighed. "The bomb killed him…"

Marceline moved closer to the little girl and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Nah… Simon wanted it that way. He sacrificed his life to save us all."

"Then he must be a hero!" the child shouted with sudden excitement. "Like my dad!"

"A hero…?" the half-demon lady smiled softly. "No one had ever called Simon like that before... I'm glad someone knows our story... Thank you, kid…"

"My name is Milli Mertens!" the red-haired girl exclaimed cheerfully.

"What kind of name is that?" Marceline inquired. "Sounds stupid, and it doesn't suit you at all!"

"Why… but dad named me… Is it really… s-stupid?"

The old woman pulled the kid close to her chest and sighed. "I'm afraid it is." She whispered thoughtfully, "But don't worry, I can give you a new one. A really cool one!"

"Really?" the child asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Yeah." Marceline thought for a moment as she stared at the little girl in front of her, analyzing every detail in her small body. "Lil' Flare. That will be your name from now on, you hear me?"

"What if I don't like it?" the newly named girl asked.

"I said: you hear me?!" Marceline yelled impatiently.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Lil' Flare answered firmly. Her green eyes drifted towards the entrance of the subway, noticing that dusk had already fallen upon Junktown. "Um… It's getting late. Mom hates it when I'm outside in the dark…"

"Your mother seems quite strict, huh?"

"Sometimes…" Flare said. "But she does it to protect me... Dad says that it's because mom and I are very alike, and she doesn't want me to suffer like she suffered when she was my age."

"I see." Marceline replied quietly. "Well if that's the case, you should get going now, Lil' Flare." The child ran to the exit. "Wait! Before you go…"

"Yeah?" Milli asked, stopping her running almost immediately.

"Well I was wondering…" Marceline blushed in embarrassment. "Could you please bring more cake for me tomorrow?"

"Grandma's cake?"

"Yes! Grandma Mertens or Grandma Hacksworth's cake! Whatever, just bring me something good to eat, 'cause I'm starving here!"

"It's just Grandma Mertens." Flare explained. "Grandma Hacksworth is in Heaven... Just like Simon, right?"

Marceline walked up to the little girl and patted her head softly. "Yeah…" she sighed. "Just like Simon…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Confused, annoyed, and somewhat angry. That's how Marceline felt after Finn's daughter left her lair. Many years had passed since the last time that she had actually talked to someone in a friendly manner… and since the last time that she had felt accompanied. That little flare had driven her loneliness away in only a matter of minutes. Six hundred years of loneliness… blown away in an instant.

The old half-demon tossed and turned on her new bed. She couldn't sleep, even if she felt tired. It was exciting to know that Lil' Flare was going to return tomorrow with a fresh slice of birthday cake. When was the last time that Marceline had felt excited about something? She couldn't tell, but she was happy about it. For the first time in six hundred years, Marceline had actually tasted the flavor of happiness once again.

That annoying old man had done it again…

"You can't fool me, Simon!" Marceline yelled. "I know you were behind this! I know it… You just wanted to make me feel better like you did so many centuries ago… You just wanted to give me a friend…"

"A little flare to drive me out of this darkness…"


	3. Illness

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 3: Illness**

Finn struggled to withstand the weight of the sleepy burden that he was trying to lift, using only the strength of his biceps, knees, and back. A cold breeze struck him softly, messing some of his golden locks and laying them above his blue eyes. What a nuisance. His bear hat wasn't helping him to keep his hair on its place, and now he'd have to deal with the infuriating sensation that his own hair was giving him. His blond strands were tickling his nose and pricking his eyes. Sure, if his hands weren't busy trying to lift a sleeping pig out of the middle of the merchants' road, he would have already freed himself from that annoying torture. Finn hated to admit it, but perhaps his mother was right. He should get a haircut. However, the busy farmer had no time to worry about his personal appearance. His first and only worry was to sustain his small family, especially when winter was on its way. The clouded skies above him warned him about the incoming rain, he had to hurry.

"Come on pig, move your big math butt!" Finn yelled. "Out of the way! Now!"

The swine let out a sleepy squeal in response.

"Darn it!" the farmer exclaimed in desperation. "How come Mr. Gibb can't take care of his own animals, huh?! Dang!"

Ten failed attempts later, Finn was back on his original road. It was after he had finished helping Miss Tea Hanks with her apple harvest, that the farmer decided that it was time to head back to his own warm home. But little did he know that Mr. Gibb had forgotten to lock up his livestock and that he'd have to deal with that problem on his own, delaying his long awaited return, back to the comforting embrace of his wife and the childish wisecracks of his little daughter.

"Well…" Mertens sighed. "At least it's all over for now…"

On his way home, however, Finn couldn't help but to notice a strange amount of properties with a "Sold" sign nailed on their fences. That was genuinely weird actually, why was everyone in Junktown selling their farms all of a sudden? The land had been quite generous this year; the streams were flowing with pure crystalline water and there were no gust storms or droughts to be expected. So why? Why was everyone leaving the fields behind?

Just as he walked by, the farmer overheard another deal being terminated. Finn knew that family well; they had been neighbors for years. But they had just sold their beautiful property to a foreigner, a tall skinny man with bright fancy clothing. His long beak-like nose, popping right out of the center of his face gave Finn a feeling of mistrust. By the looks of it, that man had come from the city and the young Mertens farmer didn't like that at all.

Finn got a hold of Bartram's reigns and pulled him forward, speeding up his way back home. Maybe Flanna could give him some sort of explanation. If anyone had an idea of what the math was going on in Junktown, it certainly was his red-haired wife.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Mertens sighed exhaustedly. He was finally in front of his house's front door. He was about to reach out for the knob when someone inside the house decided to burst out all of a sudden, stamping the door right on his face. Finn backed away holding his nose as it throbbed with constant and repeated waves of pain.

"Hey! Watch where you—!" his anger melted away as soon as he met his daughter's big worried eyes. "M-Milli…?"

"Sorry daddy… Did I hurt you?" the four-year-old asked.

Finn quickly shook his head, drawing a smile on his lips. "Nah! Did you forget that your dad is super tough and strong?" the young man said as he flexed his mechanic arm, even though there were no muscles on that rusty piece of steel to show off.

The girl's green eyes sparkled with excitement and admiration. "Yay! Daddy is the best!" she stood on her tiptoes and kissed her father's cheek swiftly. "Gotta go! See you later!"

"Whoa, hey! Where are you going, little lady?" Finn inquired in confusion as his daughter ran away from him.

"To Marceline's place!" came the girl's distant reply.

Finn walked inside the house through the now open door, a puzzled look seizing his stare. "Who the crum is Marceline, huh?"

"Dunno…" Flanna's voice answered. "Her imaginary friend or something…"

Finally… That was all Finn could think of as he laid his blue eyes on his wife. She was the only person that could help him overcome the fatigue of a long day of hard work. She, as well his daughter, was his motivation to keep pushing himself until the farm work was done. The young man walked across the living room and entered the kitchen.

And there she was, being as busy as always with her paperwork and books. The kitchen's table was her working station, there was no doubt about it, but unlike the other women in Junktown, Flanna never used it to prepare lunch, breakfast or dinner. Actually, Finn was starting to wonder if Flanna knew (at least) how to cook something. As the now educated woman that she was, having been exposed to the luxurious life of the city and the privileges of academic schooling, Flanna continued to fill her head with all kinds of artistic knowledge. After all, she was an aspiring writer. Finn knew that well and he respected, and admired her dream of becoming more than just a simple housekeeper. She never stopped studying, not even after she ran away from her uncle's mansion during her early teens. Miss Bonnibel became her mentor and the two women grew very trustful of each other as the years went by. Yes, in the end, Finn was the one that had to learn how to cook for the sake of their hungry bellies.

"Flanna!" the farmer said as he ran to her side, only to shower her with all kinds of displays of affection, which she happily returned lovingly.

"How was your—…" Flanna interrupted herself as she covered her mouth with her arm, some loud coughs leaving her lungs. "Sorry." She apologized. "How was your day?" Some quiet coughs followed her question.

Finn's expression of happiness changed into one of concern. Flanna had been coughing like that for about three years now, and each time, her condition seemed to worsen even more.

"Flann…" Finn whispered in worry, ignoring her previous question. "I-I don't like that, I already told you. You should see a doctor."

"Nonsense…!" the red-haired woman coughed, acting as stubborn as always. "I'm fine, perfectly fine! Okay?"

The young farmer nodded in response, but remained tense nonetheless. "Do you know where was Milli heading to a few minutes ago?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"She likes to roam the woods on her own." Flanna explained. "Supposedly, that's where that so-called Marceline lives, but to be honest with you…" the young woman crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "I don't like the idea of letting her wander in the forest by herself. It could be dangerous!"

"I… I… understand…" Finn said, noticing that his wife's temper was going up a little. "But we used to wander around those forests on our own too, remember?"

"Yeah! _Us! _Two people!" Flanna snapped in frustration. "We helped each other more than once! If one of us had been on his own back then, either you or I wouldn't be here right now!" she sat on a nearby chair, hiding her face between her hands. "However, Milli doesn't have a friend to trust and Ben can't be after her all the time! Perhaps... If I were able to give her a sibling… But I can't!" some tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Flanna…" Finn sighed in concern. His foolish attempt to change the subject had only worsened the situation.

He hated to see Flanna like that, blaming herself over something that she couldn't control. It all began a couple of years after Milli was born. He and Flanna had decided that it was time to give her a brother, so that she didn't have to play alone. It would have done Milli good in more than one sense to have a younger sibling to play, share and learn with, but… Flanna lost her second baby. Time healed the scars that the tragedy had left on the young couple, and so, they decided to try again. However, Flanna's body rejected their baby once more… The cycle kept repeating itself until Flanna decided that she was unable to withstand another loss. Thus, Finn and her gave up on trying to have another baby…

As stubborn and proud as she was, Flanna refused to see a doctor, no matter how many times Finn insisted on telling her to do so. In the end, they decided to move on and continue with their lives, thinking that maybe Milli was a miracle, and that they should be grateful to have her with them no matter what.

"Please don't…" Finn whispered, kneeling beside her. "Please don't blame yourself… It's not your fault."

"How can you say those things?" Flanna sobbed. "Of course it's my fault! I am defective… How can you still lov—?"

"Don't you even dare to finish that phrase, Flanna!" her husband yelled, embracing her as vehemently as he could. "You're not just a broken toy than can be tossed away and then be replaced… You… you are everything to me and you should know that by now, Flanna!" he tightened his embrace, pulling her closer. "I love you and I always will."

There was no need for the red-haired woman in his arms to reply. The way in which her heart began to beat faster after Finn said those words was all he needed to know that she felt the same. Soon, the kitchen became a very uncomfortable place for the two of them, and Finn lifted her in his arms, taking her to the couch where they would be more comfortable. The worried farmer continued to soothe his wife, and she quickly regained her usual calm and temper. However, Finn couldn't stop worrying about Flanna and her condition.

He knew that her constant coughing and her continued miscarriages were part of the same problem. Feeling desperate because of Flanna's obstinate attitude regarding to her own health, Finn had no other option but to seek help from the only person that could force her to be reasonable, her father.

* * *

"_So, you want to talk about my daughter, huh?" Mr. Hacksworth said as he lit a cigar. "Want one?" he asked, offering Finn one of his probably expensive cigarettes._

"_Um… No thanks." The young man answered nervously. It didn't matter if Mr. Hacksworth was in good terms with him or not, Finn would always feel intimidated by him. "I don't… uh… I don't smoke…"_

"_Well that's a shame…" the sturdy old man sighed, blowing a perfect smoke ring into the air. "What have you come to tell me, Mertens? That pitiful look on your face concerns me. Is something wrong with my daughter?" _

_Thus, Finn began to explain him every symptom that Flanna had presented over those last years. When he was finished, Mr. Hacksworth remained silent. The giant man did nothing but to think, staring at the infinite while he blew more smoke rings into the air…_

"_That's how my wife's illness began as well…" Mr. Hacksworth finally sighed. "I never thought that… My Flanna could…Oh no…"_

"_Could what?" asked Finn, feeling more and more tense as the seconds passed him by._

"_I never thought this could happen to her…" Flanna's father finished. "When I took her mother to a doctor he explained that she was suffering from a degenerative disease. A very mysterious disease that ended up eating her life away… That's one dammed illness!" the old man growled in despair. "It weakens them while you do nothing but to wait with your arms crossed, until one day, they get taken away from you…" Mr. Hacksworth gulped some tears back. "Those miscarriages that Flanna has suffered… Her body was forced to reject your children because it doesn't have the strength to keep both the mother and the baby alive… She was just protecting herself involuntarily, I guess…"_

"_And isn't there a cure that could save her?!" Finn shouted in disdain._

"_If there is one…" Mr. Hacksworth sentenced. "Then it can't be found in our world…"_

"_No…" Mertens whispered hurtfully. "Then Flanna is going to…?" He didn't have the courage to finish the phrase._

"_Follow her mother?" Mr. Hacksworth said. "I… I don't want to scare you Mertens, but if a cure isn't found… even Milli could suffer the same destiny…eventually…"_

* * *

"A cure…" Finn sighed silently as he held Flanna within his grasp even tighter, hoping that he could keep her with him forever.

"Finn…" Flanna's voice drove him out of his train of thought.

He shook his head, trying to forget all those negative thoughts and focused on her. That was all that he could do for her; give her everything she wanted. Make her as happy as she could be.

"I…" Flanna blushed lightly. "I was thinking that… maybe… we could…"

"We could do what, huh?" her husband replied, feeling as nervous as her.

"Give ourselves…one last chance…?"

No. No, no. Absolutely not! That should have been Finn's reply for the sake of Flanna's well being, but for the sake of her happiness, however, the farmer could only give her one answer…

"All right…" Finn said, kissing her mouth. "One last chance…"

The couple could have lost themselves in that kiss, they could have certainly gotten down to business right there and right now. But the unexpected entrance of their daughter smote the passion of that moment instantaneously.

"Mom, dad…" Milli said, covering her head from the now falling rain with a dirty coat, which was probably made with the skin of a very unfortunate animal. "Can my friend stay with us tonight? It's cold and rainy outside… and she doesn't have a warm home like us…"

"Your… imaginary friend?" Flanna asked, somewhat confused.

"What do you mean, mom? She's real!"

Her red leather boots stained the floor beneath them with mud and grass. Her entire wrinkled body was dripping cold drops of water as well as her long black hair. The strange lady stepped into the room, taking her brown hat off (in a very polite manner) and gave the two perplexed parents a wide fanged-smirk.

"S'up? The name's Marceline."

"S-so…" Finn stuttered. "You are real! Like really, really, real!"

"As real as goblins, ghosts and demons…" the old half-demon replied, scratching her belly. "What's for dinner, huh? I'm hungry for cake."

And thus, the Mertens shared the table with a very curious guest that night. One that, besides creeping Milli's parents out a little, might hold the solution that could free them from the grave predicament that was yet to come into their simple lives…

"Come Marceline!" Milli said as she dragged the old woman across the living room. "You can sleep with me tonight! Oh! And thanks for the coat!"

"Yeah, yeah… whatever… Just keep that old dog of yours away from me!"

"Grrr...! Woof!" Jake barked, following them as if Marceline were a mouse that he had to hunt down.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Some faint sun rays sneaked in through the bedroom's window, lighting Finn's face softly. His blue eyes were then opened to welcome that scarce source of warmth. The morning was grey and cold, it wasn't exactly a very inspiring sight, especially when you had to leave your blankets behind and start working on the land. Finn sighed, deciding that he was going stay on bed for five more minutes. Besides, the farmer knew that the cold could be a nuisance for the restful angel dreaming next to him. It wouldn't be fair to let her catch a cold just because he had to water some crops, right?

Finn reached out to her, brushing gently some loose strands of red hair away from her face. Her breathing was slow and peaceful. It was almost hypnotic, Mertens loved to watch her stomach going up and down with that sleepy motion. Soon the sun reached her side of the bed, lighting dimly a few fractions of her bare skin. A quiet growl left her lips as her hand searched blindly for the blanket. She drew it towards her unconsciously, seeking to protect her cold and uncovered flesh.

Noticing this, Finn quickly scooted beneath the sheets, wrapping his arm gently around her. His hand caressed her smooth shoulder as Flanna drifted instinctively into the crook of his neck, their breaths entwining gradually as the delicate skin of her breasts entered in contact with his rough chest. The morning was cold and grey, but it was perfect to snuggle in bed with your wife for five more minutes…

The sound of small footsteps invaded the room all of a sudden and their daughter appeared on the door, dragging her pillow behind her. Milli crawled onto her parents' bed, separating the two bodies as she squeezed herself between them. Finn's gaze flew towards Flanna, who didn't seem to react to their little girl's intrusion and preferred to remain dormant instead.

"Marceline snores too loudly." Milli explained as she took Flanna's arms all for herself "And I couldn't sleep."

Finn nodded in understanding, feeling a little disappointed on the inside. His five minutes of intimacy with Flanna had faded away in just five seconds, thanks to a snoring demon lady. But he didn't complain, at least they had managed to share a special night together. After so long, Flanna had finally felt confident enough to let him make love to her, maybe not as passionately as when they were younger, but gently and lovingly as she needed it to be. Finn's only wish was to comfort her, to make her feel ecstatic again. Although that still worried him a little. What if Flanna's body rejected him again? Would she be able to stand another involuntary abortion? What if Mr. Hacksworth was right? What if she was actually going to die like her mother did when she had, more or less, Flanna's age? No. Finn wasn't going to let that happen.

He waited until his little Flare fell asleep once again, to leave the protective veil that his blankets represented at that moment, in order to avoid giving naive explanations about why he wasn't wearing any pajamas. Finn got himself dressed in a minute and crouched beside Flanna's side, kissing her lips softly as he swore that he'd do everything to keep her healthy. And if that illness was actually affecting her, he would do everything in his reach to find the cure.

One last kiss was given, this time for the little girl in Flanna's arms. Milli, their wonderful miracle…


	4. Mackie Mann

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 4: Mackie Mann  
**

She was devoted to her task, working efficiently as she hummed a soft tune. Although she knew that her little girl hated it completely, it just had to be done. Flanna poured another bowl of warm water on Milli's head and then proceeded to rinse the soap out of her reddish locks. The child complained in response, using her small hands to cover her head in vain. Why did she have to get a bath on such a cold morning?

"Because…" her mother replied calmly. "Your friend passed her stinky smell onto you, Milli." She quickly turned her head away and covered some coughs with her arm.

"But I don't smell anything!" the girl replied as she fought to keep Flanna's hands away from her tiny body.

Flanna rolled her eyes in amusement; there was so much in Milli that reminded her of her younger self, just like her dislike towards water and her annoying stubbornness. Now Flanna could understand why her father used to spank her so much when she was just a child, dealing with a naughty kid was exasperating. Luckily for Milli, Flanna wasn't that kind of mother.

"Mom!" the small girl cried, rubbing her eyes with discontent. Her mother had just splashed some water on her face.

"You see what happens now?" Flanna chuckled mischievously. "You don't behave, you get the splashy splashes!"

"You're evil mom…!" Milli said. "I'm not a baby, w-why don't you let me wash myself? I can do it on my own!"

Flanna pulled a small towel out of a drawer that was conveniently placed right behind her and began to wrap one of its ends as she listened to Milli complain, once again. For once the young woman was glad to have a bucket and a barrel instead of a large bathtub like most of the city dwellers did. It was perfect to contain a four-year-old inside it without having to dive into it as she struggled to get Milli clean, or at least make her look presentable.

"Of course, I know you're perfectly capable of doing it all by yourself…" Flanna pressed the towel on the tip of her tongue. "Except that sometimes (and by sometimes she meant always) you forget to wash spots like this one!" she exclaimed, rubbing the now humid towel behind Milli's ears.

"Mom!" Lil' Flare whined.

"And like this one!" her mother chuckled, cleaning her dirty neck.

"Alright, I gots it!" Milli said, trying her best not to laugh, for Flanna knew well where to tickle her daughter and loved to bother her with that, especially during bath time.

"And… this one!" the red-haired woman exclaimed softly, pressing Milli's navel.

It delighted her to hear her little girl chuckle; Flanna didn't always have the chance to play with her as often as Finn did. That was why bathing Milli represented such a special ritual to her, even though the little rascal loathed it with a passion and would never let her mother wash her without offering some resistance first.

"That's it, we're finally done here…" Flanna said. "See how it didn't kill you?"

The young mother pulled the little girl out of the water and held her within the soft embrace of her left arm, while she used her other hand to pick up the mess that the two had left in the small shed that served them as bathroom.

"Whoops!" Milli managed to hold onto Flanna's forearm before her wet skin could make her slip out of her mother's grasp.

"Sorry! Are you doing okay in there?" Flanna apologized in concern. "I wish I was as good as your grandma was with these things…" she sighed, getting a better grip on her daughter. "Four years, and I still can't wash my girl without dropping her accidentally! I must be the worst mother ever…" Some faint coughs followed her anxious complaint.

Flanna took Milli inside the house along with the small bucket, the towels, the soap and her yellow rubber duckie. She then threw all that stuff aside and proceeded to sit Lil' Flare on her lap to start getting her dressed. The troubled mother slipped a small pair of white panties on Milli, followed by a short orange tank top, and a pair of green socks. Once Flanna had finished with that, she held the little girl in her arms and smiled.

"You can take it from here now, rig—?" she was about to ask, but her coughing got in the way. Flanna quickly moved her daughter away; letting her lungs release almost all the air they had inside. "I'm sorry… You can take it from here, right?" the young mother asked again, breathing heavily.

"Uh-huh." Milli replied. "Mom…?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I said you were evil back there…" the little girl whispered, sliding her small complexion beneath Flanna's arm. "Next time, I promise that I won't give you trouble during bath time…"

"Oh Milli, don't be silly!" her mother chuckled, holding her softly. "I know you didn't mean it."

"Yeah but…" Lil' Flare stared at her mom worriedly. "Maybe if I behave… You won't have to cough that much…"

Flanna's eyes grew in astonishment. Of all the people around her, Milli was the last person that she wanted to worry with the irritating noise of her lungs. Her features softened a few seconds later, as she felt the tender embrace of Milli's arms around her waist. The small girl had buried her face on her mother's chest.

"You are a good mom… Mommy…" she whispered.

"Oh, you silly child…" Flanna replied gently, returning the hug.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Finn waited patiently on the backyard. The cold winds of the incoming winter hit his skin and made him shiver; yet he continued to wait. If he had a wristwatch, the farmer would have been staring at it nonstop until Miss Tea Hanks decided to step out of her home. Finn couldn't blame her though; the years had made her slower. Finally, after what seemed to have been months for Finn, Miss Hank's kitchen door was unlocked and the cheerful elderly woman walked through it, carrying a big bag that had been filled with all sorts of vegetables and fruits.

"Here you go, young man!" Miss Tea said. "This should be more than enough, I hope."

"I hope so too." Finn replied. There was worry in his eyes.

"Cheer up my boy! I'm sure Flanna knows what she's doing!" she patted his back firmly. "It's very sweet of you… I mean, the way in which you're trying to aid her."

The young farmer blushed. "Well, she's my wife… and… she might have our baby now… I gotta make sure that she's in good conditions and try my best to strengthen her body as much as possible…" his face turned gloomy. "We don't want to… you know…dig another tiny grave…"

"Please don't remind me of that!" Miss Hanks muttered as she held her temple. Tea Hanks had very clear that there were times in which she had to admit that she was getting old, moments where she was forced to revive the look of sorrow and disappointment in her red-haired girl's eyes. Her heart felt ten times older after each unfair loss, after each mourning goodbye… "Let's not focus on the past, shall we?" the old lady pleaded.

"Yeah… I'm sorry." Mertens apologized softly. "It's just that… I'm feeling so confused now… and awfully stupid. Why the math did I have to… listen to her? I just put her at risk again!"

Miss Tea Hanks held his shoulders firmly and smiled. "You did it because you knew it would make her happy… You know, another chance is another hope." The elderly woman brushed a weak fist across Finn's cheek. "And right now, Flanna needs all the hope and the vegetable soup that she can get. So get moving, follow the recipe I gave you and give her something 'nutridelicious' to eat!"

Finn stared at her dumbfounded, wondering how could someone of her age have all that stamina within. A more serene grin graced his lips. "Miss Tea, thank—…"

"You'll thank me in nine months!" Miss Hanks said, pushing Finn out of her garden and spanking him to sped up a little, as if he were a mule.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Flanna walked across the front yard carrying a basket full of wet clothes. Mrs. Mertens was always kind enough to teach her and to help her with laundry. However, Flanna never got to do it right, no matter how many times Mrs. Mertens tried to explain her. She would always end up ruining a chemise, spreading the stains instead of vanishing them, and well… She didn't even want to remember how many clothes had been burned whenever the red-haired girl was in charge of the iron.

Flanna laid her green eyes on the weathervane that was spinning like crazy on top of her house. Somehow she found herself wondering if that little rooster would ever get dizzy with so much wind. And as she thought about the wind, Flanna remembered that she was standing out in the cold to perform the only domestic task that she couldn't ruin with her clumsy hands. Hanging the laundry.

Finn came from the other direction, holding his own load of heavy stuff as he stared in wonder at the spinning rooster as well. He never got to understand how could people know the direction of the wind just by staring at it. Sometimes the wind seemed to blow in every direction, and then whether it was north, south, east or west, nothing would make sense. He was also starting to ponder why did everyone place a rooster on the spinning vane. They could have chosen any animal: a mule, a dog or even something cool like a dragon. But in the end it was always a rooster.

And so, both Finn and Flanna continued to stare at the same object, unaware that they were approaching each other. It didn't take long before the two bumped against each other, sending their burdens into the air as they both fell onto the ground. Moans and grunts followed as the two rubbed their aching butts, and a rain of clothes and vegetables fell around them.

"Ow… Wh-where did you come from?!" asked Finn.

"From out of nowhere, just like you!" his wife replied, feeling somewhat irritated.

The young man managed to stand up and hurried to Flanna's side, extending his left hand to help her get up. "Yeah, sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going… That rooster over there kept me pondering." He chuckled.

"Maybe we should get rid of that thing to avoid any more accidents from happening again…" Flanna said. "I couldn't take my eyes off it as well!"

She held Finn's hand and tried to pull herself up, losing her balance in the process and dragging Finn down with her. The two hit the ground with an annoyed grunt, though Flanna felt the need to laugh all of a sudden, easing her husband's mood. Soon, the couple forgot about their chores and decided to stay on the ground, enjoying each other's company.

"Finn…" Flanna whispered in a serious tone. "Have you ever wondered…?"

"Wondered what?" the farmer asked in reply, feeling nervous.

"If a rooster lays an egg on the top of the barn, which side would it roll down? Left of right?"

Finn gave her a confused stare. What kind of question was that? And there he was, feeling concerned about nothing. But if she needed an answer so badly… "I don't know." Finn began. "I've never seen that happen before, but it could happen, 'cause roosters are always hanging out on the rooftops and—…"

Flanna burst in laughter, leaving the poor farmer with a confused stare once again. "What's so funny?" Finn complained.

"Oh you, innocent, innocent man…" his wife laughed. "Roosters don't lay eggs!"

"Uh! I get it now!" Mertens exclaimed, pushing her lightly. "You were making a fool of me! Well if you are in the mood for laughs, then get ready to suffer the consequences of messing with a humble farmer! Can't believe I fell for that!"

And they fell on the cold grass once again, attacking each other like they hadn't done it in years. This time, however, only tears of laughter were shed.

**x~x~x~x~x**

They were soon forced to stop their childish game, as Flanna's coughing made itself present and alarmed Finn. He quickly helped her stand up, asking repeatedly if she was feeling okay. Flanna hated to be treated like if she were some kind of damsel in need, but decided to let Finn do whatever he wanted. She knew that he was behaving like that because he cared too much for her, so Flanna replied softly, trying to be as docile as her temper could let her.

"I'm gonna be fine, Finn." She smiled. "I just have a frog in my throat." Flanna had used the same excuse with Milli a while earlier and it worked perfectly, perhaps it could also work with the guy that forgot that roosters couldn't lay eggs.

"I'm glad you're acting so comical today, but you're not gonna fool me again." Finn caressed her cheek softly. "Let's just pick up this mess and go home, okay?"

Flanna sighed in response, but obeyed anyway. All she wanted was to stop making people worried about her condition. How could some coughs scare everyone so much? The young woman wondered as she crouched to lift the laundry off the ground. She was going to be okay, Flanna assured mentally. Everything was going to be okay…

"Hey Finn…" Flanna broke the silence. "Thank you."

"Huh?" the young man walked up to her side. "For what?"

"You know why!" she blushed, turning her face away. "Last night…" she whispered. "I know I'm being selfish, 'cause I'm just making you more concerned about me, but I really want to try…"

Finn held her shoulders firmly. "I know and I don't mind, just take care of yourself please…"

"I'm serious." Flanna said. "I want to believe that this time…everything will work out just fine. And if it doesn't… I promise I won't ever ask you to try again…"

Finn took her hands on his and kissed them delicately. "It will work." He assured. "I'm not gonna rest 'till I find a way to help you carry that weight… _and until I find out how to save you…_"

With that, the young couple left the scene, finding comfort in each other's arms as they walked into their home. Not very far from them another couple stepped into the front yard. This one, however, wasn't a normal couple at all. They were just a grumpy demon lady and a snarling bulldog that was trying to rip her old coat off her. Of course, Jake's nose was only telling him that the pelts that Marceline used to protect herself from the cold smelled just like foxes and rats, and his instincts told him to get rid of foxes and rats every time he had the chance to do so. That was his duty as guardian dog.

"Quit that already!" the half-demon cried. "This dog is possessed! Of course, that must be it!"

Marceline held a tree and began to pull her coat back in an attempt to free it from Jake's maw. It took her several shots and a lot of effort, but she managed to make the old bulldog bounce away of her dirty garments. Jake shook himself and growled at her in warning, just before he decided to stop messing with her and rushed into the house, seeking for Finn.

"Yeah, that's it! Go away!" Marceline hissed, taking a seat near the barn. "Die in a fire or somethin'!"

The old woman rested her aching back against the wooden wall, wondering if she would be better off alone. Staying with Lil' Flare and her family might not be a good idea after all, but winter was cold and cruel. Marceline had to take that in consideration. She had spent so many winters alone and she knew it was a torturing experience. "Alright…" Marceline sighed. "I'll leave 'em as soon as spring arrives…"

Suddenly, she felt that someone had pushed her hat off head and then, something squishy, sticky and with some sort of floral scent was immediately spilled on top of her. Marceline took her hands towards her head nervously, expecting something disgusting to happen… Milli had emptied a bottle of shampoo on her head. Yep, something disgusting had happened.

"Lil' Flare, what the heck?!" the old demon lady screamed.

"Well if you're gonna stay with us, you better smell nice at least!" Milli explained. "That way mom won't be bathing me every now and then because of your stinky smell!"

"Oh, c'mon!" Marceline growled.

"I used Jake's shampoo on you." Milli grinned. "Daddy says that it is very effective to kill fleas, so I figured that it will help to get rid of yours!"

"First of all, I don't have no fleas!" the old woman replied, scratching her head repeatedly. "And secondly, you can't make me take a bath voluntarily!"

"Oh… okay…" the small girl crouched and picked up a hose. "You don't behave, you get the splashy splashes!"

"Calm down, Lil' Flare!" Marceline cried, noticing that she didn't stand a chance to runaway from the water. "There's no need to get violent!" However, Milli had already fired at her. "Yikes! Rotten hells and bats! This water is pure ice!"

**x~x~x~x~x**

The rest of the afternoon went by peacefully. Marceline was sitting on the living room after having wrapped her old shivering body with several layers of warm towels while Jake panted cheerfully by her side. With the scent of rats and foxes gone, the dog had found that Marceline was just another friend to play with.

Meanwhile, on the kitchen table, Flanna was dedicating some of her time to teach Milli how to read and write correctly. She wanted her daughter to know some basics before they decided to enroll her in school with Miss Bonnibel.

"First it's A… then B… and C…" the young mother explained. "See? It's like one, two, three…!"

"A…B…three…?" a clearly confused Milli replied.

"No, it's C." Flanna corrected.

"Oh! One, two, C!" her daughter exclaimed.

"Just focus on the letters…" Flanna sighed, trying not to lose her patience. "We'll get to the numbers later."

Jake's ear went perked up all of a sudden and he quickly rushed to the door, barking loudly. There was someone knocking outside. Finn hurried towards it instantly, not wanting Flanna and Milli to get distracted from their studies.

"Hi, how may I—…" Mertens trailed off. The strange man from the city, the one that he had seen just one day ago, was standing on his porch. "What do you want?" Finn asked, his friendly mood fading away. He didn't like that guy at all.

"Please, let me introduce myself…!" the tall skinny man said, taking off his bright yellow hat and making a small bow. "My name is Mackie Mann, but some people call me Magic Maaan…! Master of the magic of business, my friend!"

"I don't want any, thank you." Finn muttered as he proceeded to close the door, but Mackie Mann put his foot on the way.

"Please, I'm not here to sell!" he chuckled. "I'm here to buy! And I brought tons of money with me! C'mon, you and your family could certainly use some! Just listen to my offer and you'll be on your way to eternal happiness…!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Will you leave us alone if I listen to you?"

"Mmmm… Maybe!" Mr. Mann sang.

"Okay, lay it down and then just be on your way!" the young farmed said, stepping aside.

"Thank you Sir! Thanks a lot indeed!" Mackie Mann chuckled. "I represent a wealthy team of businessmen, and they are quite interested in this…uh… humble piece of land that you (accurately) call Junktown." He tapped Finn's shoulder and smirked. "You see, underneath all this junk there's actually a hidden treasure…"

"What kind of treasure?" Finn asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Gold." The eccentric man answered. "Lots and lots of flowing gold! And you can get some of it! All you have to do is to sell us your petty little farm and you'll be filthy rich! What do you say my friend?"

"Hmm… Thanks, but no thanks." Finn chuckled. "I'm already filthy rich if you haven't noticed it. I have everything I need, now just go. Good afternoon!"

Mertens tried to push him out, but Mackie Mann found a way to slip in the small house and startle everyone inside. "Good afternoon, Mackie Mann here!"

"I told you to be on your way!" a furious Finn exclaimed, as he got ready to punch the businessman out of his home.

"Did he say… Mackie Mann?" Flanna whispered. She carried Milli on her arms and walked into the living room. "Yeah, I've seen you before! You work for my cousins at the city!" she growled, there was fury in her eyes. "What do you want with my family, huh?!"

Mackie Mann covered his laughter with both hands, leaving Flanna to wonder what the heck was so amusing about her. "Well, well… If it isn't the young Flanna, the black sheep of the Hacksworth family."


	5. The Flower of Amaranth

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 5: The Flower of Amaranth**

"I hate that guy!" yelled Flanna as she slammed her fist against the table, her teeth gritted in fury. She couldn't believe how that Mackie Mann had dared to come into her home only to disturb that peaceful afternoon, and the worst of all, to make fun of her and Milli. Flanna could handle the mocks against her, they didn't mean anything to her, but messing with her daughter? That was just unforgivable…

* * *

"_Oh! What's that?" Mackie Mann cackled, pointing at the little girl in Flanna's arms. "Another one?!"_

_The red-haired woman tensed her features in reply, feeling how the anger grew within her. Milli just stared at the stranger in confusion. However, the small child felt the necessity of hiding her face on her mother's chest as soon as Mr. Mann pointed her with his crooked finger. _

"_Humph! Just what we needed!" he laughed in a rather unpleasant way, causing Milli to squirm softly, somehow feeling ashamed of herself. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by the furious mother, who was about to let her rage explode upon the intruder. "There's no way this could do any good to your family's reputation, eh Flanna?"_

_Flanna placed a comforting hand on her little girl's head as she made a step forward. She was ready to defend her daughter, punching that guy's nose would have been more than a pleasure for her. It was her chance to avenge all those times when he had laughed at her for being who she was; a spoiled brat? A coward? The black sheep of the family? Well, perhaps she was all of those things and more. After all, Flanna had to admit that running away from the city, leaving all her responsibilities behind to marry a poor farmer in a miserable land wasn't something acceptable, according to the high-class society. However, Milli had nothing to do with that, it was obvious that Mackie Mann was only trying to make her kid feel bad by making fun of her._

_Oh, how much did Flanna want to smash his ugly face and break his nose, but luckily for Mr. Mann, a firm brawny arm stopped her from doing so. Finn had gotten in the way between Flanna and Mackie Mann. Of course, he wasn't happy at all with that weird man's unnecessary commentaries and mocks, but he wasn't going to let his wife get into more trouble with her family than she already had. Flanna didn't need any of this; her condition was already bad enough._

"_Leave my house now, if you don't want me to knock your head off…!" the young man ordered._

"_Huh? So I suppose there's no deal then?" Mackie chuckled. "Alright. I'll send your regards to your cousins, Flanna…" A mischievous smirk crawled slowly across his face. "I'm sure they'll be happy to know that I have finally found you…hehehe…"_

* * *

"Darn…" the young woman cursed, leaning against the table. Just as her anger began to diminish, her body had suddenly grown weaker, making her feel numb without explanation. "I feel dizzy…" she whispered, placing her hand on her forehead.

Worried, Finn rushed to her side, not before leaving his daughter on Marceline's lap. The farmer held Flanna's waist firmly, afraid of watching her stumble down. Although she insisted over and over again that nothing was wrong with her, Finn never desisted on keeping a tight grip on her. It was then that her coughing began, more intense than ever. Finn pulled out an old handkerchief and gave it to Flanna so that she could cover her mouth. Once her lungs had breathed out all the air inside them, the young woman let herself collapse into her husband's arms, letting a now bloodstained cloth slip from her fingers.

"Finn…?" she panted in fear, her green eyes focused on her own blood. "Am I…? What's wrong with me…?"

Finn remained silent. He didn't want to answer that, much less in front of their daughter. The farmer could only pull her closer, wrapping her trembling body in his solacing embrace. Flanna had begun to cough blood; Finn feared the worst now. If a moment of intense angst could disturb her health like that, the incoming winter could worsen it even more. What could a humble farmer do about this? Finn sighed. He would have to figure how to explain her everything about her condition later. For now, all Flanna needed was to get some rest.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Miss Bonnibel poured some hot honey-flavored tea into two cups and then placed them on a silver tray along with some ice cubes that had been previously wrapped in a small towel. She then carried all those items into her living room, where a conflicted young man was sitting, tapping the floor with his agitated feet.

"Here you go, Finn." Bonnibel said, handing him the teacup. "I hope this helps you with your anxiety…" she grabbed the ice and held it near his right cheek. "And I hope this helps you with that painful bruise on your cheek…"

Finn hissed in pain, feeling the burning sensation that the ice had on his wounded skin. He avoided complaining though; the poor farmer believed that he deserved that slap anyway. Flanna hadn't reacted so well to the news that he had given her last night in their bedroom. All this time his wife had believed that she was just defective and that she had become allergic to pollen or something. How could have Flanna ever imagined that her constant coughing and her recent miscarriages were symptoms of the same sickness that had taken her mother away? The young woman refused to believe that, she insisted it was all coincidence, but Finn managed to convince her somehow.

Then came the furious slap. It hurt him, but Flanna was right. How could he have dared to play to the indulgent lover, knowing that the risk of losing another baby was greater than they had expected? Idiot. The young farmer had repeated that word to himself as if it were some kind of mantra the whole night long, the first one of many more that he'd have to spend on the couch.

"I'm a hopeless disaster, Miss B…" Finn sighed, holding the ice against his hurt cheek on his own, using his metal arm while he let his human one rest on the couch. "All I want is to help her and make her happy…! I wish I could find a cure, maybe Flanna would forgive me then…" he raised his blue eyes, seeking to make contact with hers. "If you can't help me find a solution, then nobody can…"

Bonnibel took a sip of her tea and then gave Finn a tender smile. "You know? Watching you in that state, trying to heal a wound that Flanna caused you… I can't help but to feel nostalgia…" she held his hand softly. "And now that I think of how much have you two been through, what you have done and what you have become… All I can think of is to find that cure, something that will help you keep Flanna by your side… because you truly care for her despite it all." The teacher smiled. "I'm willing to aid you Finn…"

Touched by Miss Bonnibel's kind words, Finn dragged the curled-haired woman into a tight thankful hug. She had always been the best teacher in the world; Finn had no doubt about it. After they finished their tea, the two began to seek information regarding to Flanna's symptoms on Miss Bonnibel's multiple medical books. Soon, their readings became staked piles of discarded books, but the farmer never dared to lose his hope. He kept reading all those difficult scientific terms that he could barely understand, even if they were boring as hell. There had to be an answer somewhere, it didn't matter if Mr. Hacksworth said that there was no cure; it had been nearly thirty years since his wife passed away, medicine should have already been advanced enough, new discoveries should have been made, things had to be different now.

Mertens and Miss Bonnibel spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon on research, but the only answer they found was the one that Finn feared the most. "I'm sorry Finn," Bonnibel said, taking off her glasses to clean them with her blouse. "I guess it all depends on whether the new baby was conceived or not, and its too early to know that…"

"So…?" the young man spoke, he was tense.

"I-I don't know about the sickness, Finn, but if you want Flanna to have the baby she'll need the specialized attention that we can't give her here in Junktown." The teacher pressed his shoulder firmly. "Moving to the city is your only option, there are more modernized medical equipment there and doctors with more advanced studies, I'm sure they could give your child a chance to live…"

"No…" Finn shook his head. "It's too expensive…. Besides Flanna hates it there, it won't do her good…!"

"I know Finn," Bonnibel insisted. "But that's the only option I can give you…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Moving to the city? How could he do that? The farmer walked down the streets of Junktown, passing by all the improvised stores of the market. He buried his hands on his pockets; Finn knew that he had to make a decision. If they were actually going to move to the city they would need money, and of course, he would have to start looking for a job and a place to stay. Were there actually any working opportunities there? All the farmers that had already sold their properties had told him that the city was a place where prosperity and success could be easily achieved, though, that was just part of Mackie Mann's everyday speech. Finn didn't trust that guy; he might as well be just another dirty liar. But what if Mackie was telling them the truth?

Now Finn felt more tempted than ever about selling his farm in the hopes of giving his small family a better life. It represented a chance for Flanna, he couldn't waste that opportunity, but…?

"Come fellow neighbors, please gather around my _table_…!" Finn heard Choose Bruce exclaim in the distance as a large crowd of farmers and merchants gathered around him. "For what I have to tell you, ain't no _fable_…!"

Mertens would have joined him; perhaps the eccentric merchant had some important news to share. However, at that moment the only thing that Finn wanted was to see his little girl, hopping to find comfort and maybe an answer to all his questions in her naïve eyes. Finn then turned back to his road, and continued walking towards his home.

"Is there really any gold beneath our _feet_?" Choose Bruce proceeded as Finn disappeared in the distance. "Or is it only a trick that the foreigners use to buy themselves your title _deed_…?!"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Marceline roamed around the garden, followed by a very insistent Jake. The bulldog was convinced that old demon lady was a new playing partner. However, she would never pay any attention to him, not even when he barked and snarled. For Marceline there were more important things to think about, like for instance, finding Finn Mertens. The old woman had a hard time deciding whether to aid that family with her dark wisdom or not, she could endanger them like she did fourteen years ago. Another disaster of multiuniversal proportions could be unleashed if she dared to meddle in the lives of human mortals once again. However, there was no way that Marceline could say no to Lil' Flare's plea.

* * *

"_Please, please Marceline! Please!" the small child cried, with reddened eyes full of tears. "Somethin's wrong with my mom! She's sick and she needs your help! Y-you can help her, right Marceline?"_

"_Listen kiddo, I don't know what you're talking about…" the old half-demon growled in annoyance. "I'm no witch, so I have no magical remedy for whatever it is that's causing yer mom's illness…"_

"_B-but you said that magic does exist…!" Milli interjected, pulling Marceline's fur coat with determination. "What about all those cool things that Simon did, huh? You told me about him, remember? You said he was a powerful wizard and a hero!" she sobbed. "Simon would have saved my mom… just like he saved you…!"_

_Marceline let out a deep sigh while she rubbed her aching temple. Why had she thought that speaking about Simon to a little girl was a good idea? That pesky old man…! Everything was his fault, the half-demon woman was sure about it. She had no option but to say yes to Milli. Simon would have wanted it that way…_

"_Alright, Lil' Flare…" Marceline whispered as she messed the girl's short red hair with her wrinkled hand "Let me see what I can do…" _

* * *

"How come I, Marceline the demon of Junktown, could have grown so fond of a puny lil' brat!" the old woman muttered as she approached the disheartened farmer. "Nothing makes sense these days!"

"Hey you! Mertens!" Marceline called in a rather aggressive way. "What are ya doin' sitting there like a pitiful soul in sorrow, huh?! Get up, you're wasting my time!"

Of all people, why did it have to be that weird old lady the one interrupting his pondering? He was trying to make a difficult decision for heaven's sake! "Not now, Marceline…!" Finn replied. "Can't you see I'm trying to think here?!"

The old half-demon waved her hand if front of her nose. "Yeah, no wonder it smells like toasted brain in here…!" she chuckled mischievously.

Finn sprung up immediately, not willing to hear any more useless mocks coming from that weirdo. "You know what, I don't have time for this!" he groaned.

"Exactly, that's what I said!" Marceline replied. "Are ya comin' or not?!"

"Coming where?!" Mertens snapped, losing his patience.

"To look for a remedy for your dear woman's sickness…" the old half-demon smirked.

**x~x~x~x~x**

This was crazy; Finn never thought that he would find himself following a strange old woman into the depths of the woods and into a stinky tunnel, just because she had alleged that she could find the cure there. Yet there he was, doing the unthinkable for Flanna's sake.

He covered his nose in disgust, the air felt dense there and the unbearable stench the perfumed the area wasn't helping him much either. Finn kept following Marceline though, staring at the eye-catching antiques that were scattered on the muddy ground. Whoever lived there must have been a very eccentric garbage collector or something similar, Finn thought.

"What is this place?" the farmer dared to ask once the silence started to make him uncomfortable.

"Well, while you might want to call this place 'dirty hole' or 'underground dump', I like to call it home…" Marceline answered. "Isn't it cozy?" she joked.

Finn frowned, somehow worried about her. "Not at all." He said. "How long have you been living here?"

"Centuries, Mertens boy… I've lived here since I was only seven-years-old."

"And… how old are you now?" Finn inquired in curiosity.

Marceline stopped her walking and turned her face towards him, a fanged grin creeping across her wrinkled features. "You wouldn't believe it if I were to tell you, Mertens…"

Thus, they continued their way into the darkness until they bumped into a large frozen object. Finn rubbed his eyes multiple times in awe, he couldn't believe in what they were seeing. And it wasn't because of the bomb; his attention had been captured by a golden crown with shimmering rubies decorating its front. The young man dashed immediatly towards the mysterious treasure, ignoring Marceline's warnings.

"Don't you touch that, you fool!" she growled.

"Are you kidding me?!" Finn replied in excitement as he crouched down to take a better look of the crown, which rested on top a skeleton's head. "This is the answer to all our problems! I could sell it at the market and then I wouldn't have to sell the farm! I could take Flanna to a decent hospital without being forced to live at the city! This is… Mathema—…!"

Marceline cut his excited exclamation off, smacking his hands with a strange gun that she had pulled out of nowhere. "Quit that, idiot!" she yelled severely, watching the young man writhe in pain. "If you dare to approach that crown again, I swear I'll shoot straight to your heart…! And this time I can assure you, there's no way this baby will fail me again!"

"You crazy old woman!" Finn groaned, holding his aching knuckles. "I thought you were weird, but now I know you're insane! Can't you see that it would be easier to sell that crown and—…!"

"Easier?!" Marceline shouted. "The easiest way can only lead to the path of doom, believe me Mertens, please just listen to me this time! If you truly want to aid Flanna, and I'm not talking about just giving her a decent death, you have to forget about that crown!" she put her right hand against her heart. "I can give you a better alternative! One that will not only save her baby, but that will also save her life as well!"

Finn locked his eyes with hers, dumbfounded by the intensity of her words. "Is there really…? An alternative…?" In matter of seconds, the young farmer was on his knees, holding Marceline's shoulders while he shook her back and forth in desperation. "Are you sure?! Where can I find it?! What do I have to do to get it?! I'll do everything you want Marceline! Please! Just tell me, I beg you!"

"Fist of all, you have to let me go!" the old half-demon demanded, pushing Finn away. "Now help me find an old book with a brown cover that's buried somewhere in this mess, if you please, Mertens!"

"Right away, Mrs.!" the farmer exclaimed in excitement. There was a way to save Flanna, Finn hadn't been so happy since he was told that was going to become a father.

It took them a couple of hours, but after digging on a pile of rotten dirt with his bare hands, Finn managed to find the ancient book. Its cover left him spellbound as soon as he laid his eyes on it. The farmer wasn't sure if he could pronounce the book's name correctly, but he read it in his mind perfectly: "Enchiridion, the Hero's Handbook."

"Wow…!" Finn exclaimed as he opened the Enchiridion in curiosity. "I can't believe Miss Bonnibel doesn't have this book in her collection…!"

"Gimme that!" Marceline said, whacking the book from Finn's hands before he could start reading chapter five. "This ain't no Kama sutra, ya naughty kid!"

"Hey! I don't know what you're talkin' about!" the farmer cried in confusion, once again, trying to heal the pain on his throbbing knuckles.

"We must focus on finding the remedy for your wife, remember?! Now let's see…" the old woman began to rummage through the book's withered pages, sometimes going back and forth in between them. "I'm sure I read something that could be useful… where is that friggin' page? Oh! I wish they'd have put an index in this book! Hold on… Aha! Got it!"

"What?" Mertens asked snatching the book from her. "Chapter 26: The Flower of… Amaranth?"

"Yeah! Amaranth!" Marceline yelled, pushing him away and catching the book once again. "Surprisingly, you managed to read it well! Congratulations, dweeb!"

"Hey!" Finn was ready to complain, but Marceline jammed a dirty sock into his mouth.

"Shut up, I'm reading!" she said. "Now let's see,"

_Amaranth: the Never Fading Flower_

_It is said that this magical red flower symbolizes immortality, well that might just be a myth if thou noble hero search only among the earthly flower fields of this world. However, the real Amaranth that grows in the Land of the Daybreak not only guarantees eternal life and youth, but also, it will cure any disease if an antidote is prepared with it. (See appendix 84 for the appropriate techniques on how to prepare the Amaranth Elixir.) _

_But beware! If thou seek for this never withering flower, thou brave hero must be aware of all the dangers that might be found on the way to the Land of the Daybreak. If your heart holds selfless intentions, then thou shall proceed. However, if the Amaranth is used with greedy purposes, its miraculous effects shall be reversed, bringing you nothing but death and despair…_

"Bla, bla, bla, chaos to your land…" Marceline kept reading. "Death, death and more death… huh? It doesn't seem that difficult, don't ya think, Mertens?"

"Marceline," the farmer asked, eyes full of determination. "How can I get to the Land of the Daybreak?"

The old half-demon closed old book, causing a puff of dust to rise into the air. "The Land of the Daybreak exists in a different dimension, Mertens. It seems that you're inclined to believe in magic this time, huh?" the young man nodded. "Very well then, I guess we should start searching for a map. I know of someone that might have one —my father— but I haven't seen him in centuries…" Marceline sighed. "I ignore if he still remembers me after I rejected his offer of coming with him to the Nightosphere, but if you're so desperate to give it a try, Finn… I might dare to do it as well…"

"What do you say, Mertens?" Marceline asked. "Are you willing to embark into a dangerous quest? To travel into the unknown, faraway from the only land that you have ever known and the people you love?"

Finn tightened his fists as he stood firmly before the half-demon. "Flanna's father told me once that… If there's actually a cure, then it couldn't be found in our world…" he made a few steps forward. "I'm ready, Marceline! I don't care if I have to travel across a thousand dimensions or if I have to fight a horde of monsters… For Flanna, I'm willing to do anything!"


	6. Make a Princess of Me

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 6: Make a Princess of Me**

Miss Bonnibel helped Finn to adjust a comfortable saddle on Stormo's back. She had no idea of where was the farmer heading to and he wasn't going to explain her either. So the school teacher figured that Finn should at least travel on a proper saddle, designed for long journeys. Mrs. and Mr. Mertens were there as well, helping the young man with his traveling gear. The two parents shared Miss Bonnibel's concern though, what was pushing Finn to leave his young daughter and his sick wife all of a sudden? Where was he going to and why?

"Alright, I'm almost done with this…" the young farmer said. His blue eyes were locked on the horizon as dusk fell upon Junktown. "Now I just need my—…"

"Toothbrush?" a young voice interrupted. "Don't worry, bro. I've got ya covered!"

Finn smiled at the young teenager before him. Sometimes he found it hard to believe that his baby brother had grown up so much in the last fourteen years. "Thanks, bro. That wasn't really what I was looking for, but it'll be useful as well… I guess…" he said, messing the boy's brown hair.

"Finn…" his mother called, walking between him and Ben. "Would you care to explain us now why is it that you're leaving?"

The young man rolled his blue eyes down to the ground and sighed. "I'm doing this for Flanna… Her condition is getting worse, and today I found out about a cure that could save her and the baby as well."

"You did?" Miss Bonnibel meddled in. "Where did you find that? Not in any of the library books, I presume."

"L-look it's hard to explain. I-I can't even understand it myself, and I don't know where I'm going either." Finn replied. "All I know is that I have to leave now so I can be back as soon as possible. Believe me, I wouldn't abandon Flanna and Milli if I didn't have a good reason to do it…!"

"Do they know about this?" Mrs. Mertens asked worriedly. "Does Flanna know at least?"

"I was planning to let Milli know about this tomorrow before I leave… I don't want her to spend the whole night worried about me…" Finn explained. "And… about Flanna…" he gulped, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I guess she's still mad at me, so I figured that I should leave her a note."

"Finn, that's not right." the school teacher said. "You should talk with Flanna about this!"

"I-I know but—…!" the young farmer tried to defend himself. How could he explain Miss Bonnibel that, even as a grown up, he was still afraid of Flanna's fiery attitude. Just like when they were kids.

"Psst! You should get her some flowers…!" Mr. Mertens whispered on Finn's ear. "That always works with your mother…! Yauw!"

Mrs. Mertens pinched her husband's ear and pulled him back, an irritated expression seizing her features. "Finn, don't be a coward. You know it's for the best… You two need to talk… Fix this before you leave. I'm sure Flanna will understand."

Finn tried his best to come up with an excuse, but seeing how his mother had defeated his father so easily, he had to admit that listening to her and to Miss Bonnibel was the only way to solve his issues with Flanna. After all, women knew best. Especially when it came to –– well, women.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Finn finished writing his departure letter with the best handwriting that he could come up with. The farmer moved stealthy across the living room and entered his bedroom. There was no sign of Flanna anywhere; she must be in Milli's room. He took avail of that and placed the note on his wife's pillow. He also found a chance to retrieve an old pair of boots from the closet and left the room as quickly as he could.

The couch was waiting for him in the middle of the dark and cold living room. Finn prayed for it to be as comfortable as his bed. In his five years of marriage, he had never been forced to spend the night on the couch. It wasn't that Finn hadn't made Flanna mad before; it was just that his red-haired wife had disturbed sleep patterns and she never found comfort in bed if she wasn't sleeping in his arms. Flanna must be really angry if she was determined to sacrifice her sleep just to punish him. Finn sighed; he wasn't in the mood to deal with her temper.

He took off his sweated shirt and unbuttoned his pants, regretting that he had forgotten to snatch his pajamas before running out of the bedroom. Now it was too late to retrieve them. Finn noticed that Flanna's soft singing had faded away in the distance. She had probably finished tucking Milli in bed and was now heading to their bedroom. The echoes of her shoeless footsteps in the dark gave her away, as well as the sound of her dim voice. Flanna was humming the lullaby that she usually sang to her daughter every night while she wandered around the house; perhaps it was just a poor attempt to put herself to sleep. Or maybe it was just a vague instinct that lingered in her stressed mind, something that helped her find a little inner peace in her heart.

Finn gulped. The house became silent all of a sudden. Flanna must be reading the letter. It would be just a matter of time before her footsteps echo once again, announcing her presence in the living room. The young man chose to hide beneath the old blankets that he had found in the barn, and pretend that he was asleep. Maybe that would save him from having to deal with his angry wife.

Finn struggled to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He could hear her walking again. She was heading towards the living room. "Gosh…" he whispered worriedly. A relieved sigh left his lungs. Flanna had changed her course. Finn could listen to her; she was getting something from the kitchen. The young man figured that perhaps she was just thirsty. A chill ran down his spine. Her footsteps were echoing in the dark once again, and this time they were getting closer. Was she going to smack him with a wooden spoon or with something even harder? What if she brought a knife with her? Could Flanna be that angry with him?

"I know you ain't sleeping, Mertens. Get up." Her voice caused him to shudder. Flanna was standing behind the couch. "I'm serious, Finn."

Finn uncovered his shivering body sheepishly. Even in the dark, he knew that his appearance wasn't by any means a delightful one. His long blond hair was messy and dirty, consequence of a hard day of work and the fact that he had squeezed his head against the cushion as he turned and trashed on the uncomfortable couch. His lack of pajamas left him looking more like a drunk man of the streets instead of a farmer. No shirt, sloppy unbuttoned pants and bagged eyes; he looked like a hobo indeed.

"Flann—…" he tried to explain.

"Move." The young woman demanded sternly as she took a seat on the couch.

Finn made some distance between the two of them and turned his face away, reluctant of staring at her in the eyes. He was unsure of what to expect or what to do next. Maybe explaining her the reasons of his unannounced departure would be a good start. However, the touch of her hand holding his chin stopped Mertens' excuses from coming. He felt the weight of Flanna's stare analyzing his face; she was looking for the bruise on his cheek.

Once she had managed to locate it, Flanna pulled up some ice and pressed it against the wound. "The inflammation is diminishing," she whispered. "It was a good thing that you decided to treat it with ice after I slapped you."

"Y-yeah… Miss Bonnibel had the idea of…" Finn trailed off. It wasn't like if he had been allowed to speak, plus, he didn't have anything good to say either.

"I really screw it up this time, didn't I?" his wife said. "I don't know why do I always react like that… I shouldn't have hurt you, Finn. Guess I was scared, confused, frustrated… and angry. I'm sorry… Would you forgive me?"

Finn gasped in response, facing her in awe. "No… I-I mean… You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who messed it all up. I should've told you about, you know, your condition before we—…"

"It doesn't matter anymore…" Flanna replied. Her face showed no emotion at all, something that only helped to increase Finn's nervousness even more. "What's done is done… And well, I have already made up my mind to accept it. I'm prepared for another loss…" she shrugged. "I can handle it."

Finn pushed Flanna's hands down, pressing them on the couch as he held her tightly. "No! You don't have to!" he yelled and then lowered his voice, afraid of waking their daughter up. "That's why I'm leaving…! To find you a cure…! Marceline said—…!"

"I know. Milli told me about it." His wife sighed.

"Milli knows…?" the young man asked in astonishment.

"She's my daughter, of course she knows." A proud smile appeared on Flanna's face, giving some relief to the altered farmer. "She's one smart girl…"

Finn relaxed a little, letting go of Flanna's wrists. Once she had regained her freedom, the young woman continued with the task of healing her husband's wound. An awkward silence surrounded them. For some reason Flanna didn't seem interested on talking about Finn's self-imposed journey. He wished they could talk it over, though. The farmer wasn't going to change his mind; he just had to do it… for her.

"Listen, the thing is that…" Flanna began as she pressed the improvised ice bag against his cheek. The sudden contact on his skin caused him to wince softly.

"Ouw…" Finn chuckled, erasing the worry from his wife's expression. "You really did hit me hard, woman…!" he laughed. "At least that means that you're still strong…!"

Flanna couldn't help but to smile as well, cupping his face on her hands. "It's more like you are a wimp, I'd say." She snickered as she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

For a second, the young farmer got to believe that they were both fourteen again. Moments like the one they were living now used to occur quite often back then. Their fights were pointless and almost always ended up with an injured Finn and a remorseful Flanna. There were afternoons when they used to hang out at the creek, spending their time and energy in swimming races, holding their breaths under water, and fishing. And when dusk fell, they would always sit by a campfire to discuss who had been the best on those contests. Obviously, this would lead to a fight and in consequence, to a needed apology and an always welcomed reconciliation as well. Sometimes Finn would wake up the next morning, finding himself underneath a tree with a sleepy Flanna resting on his chest.

Those were the moments that the young farmer treasured with great care and love; the moments that he sometimes dreamed of bringing back with a wish. But life isn't something that you can change just by tossing a coin into a fountain. Finn knew it and he wanted to make Flanna aware of that.

"I don't want you to leave…" his wife admitted after letting go of his face. "You say I'm strong, but that's only because you've always been by my side… I don't know what's waiting for us in the future, but be it good or bad, I want you to be there with me when that happens…"

Finn frowned; he hated to be standing at a crossroad. Having to leave her and Milli was the last thing that he wanted to do. However, if he wanted keep his family safe, he had no other choice.

"Please don't ask me to do that, Flanna…" the farmer begged, squeezing her hand gently. "I don't know where I'm going, but I'll try to be back before winter comes.

"You promise?" Flanna asked as if she were a child.

"I swear." Her husband said, confident on being able to fulfill his word.

Flanna smiled in resignation. What else could she do to stop him if he was so determined? The only thing she knew for certain was that they had at least six hours before they had to part ways, and she wanted to spend them with him. The young woman held his chin again and pressed the ice on the injury one last time. Finn simply closed his blue eyes and waited for the stinging pain to return. Suddenly, the coldness of the ice was replaced by the warmth of his wife's lips as she began to kiss him, following the line of his jaw until her mouth met his.

It was a little sudden for Finn, but he sure wasn't complaining. He let her arms surround his neck while he seized her waist, drawing her body closer as he parted her lips open to deepen the kiss. And to think that a while ago, the farmer believed that his wife was planning to murder him. Of course, there was a chance that Flanna had poisoned her lips, but if that was the case, being intoxicated had never been such a blissful experience. Soon, both her dress and his pants were scattered on the floor as he held his wife beneath him, letting her know just how much he needed her and how much he loved her, in the most beautiful way possible. Not even the greatest distance would ever tear them apart, for they were two parts of a whole, always willing to be one. Tangled in that sweet maelstrom of silent laughter and tears, Flanna leaned onto her husband's ear and whispered.

"I don't care what happens, I want to be yours...forever..."

"You will always be." Finn replied softly. "And so will I..."

He tenderly slipped into her and she felt whole again. They lost themselves in each other, leaving everything behind. All of their worries. All of their pain. All of time.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Now with the fire flickering amongst the silence and the quiet voices that echoed in the dark living room, the two lovers struggled to find a proper place to rest their exhausted minds and bodies. The mess of clothes and cushions on the floor had been finally cleaned up and their only task left was to fit themselves on the old couch as a separated couple.

"Make some space!" Flanna requested as she pulled her husband down, so that the two could lie on the couch together.

"What? Flanna, this couch isn't big enough for the two of us…!" Finn complained in amusement. "Why can't we just sleep on our bed, huh?"

"Because," his wife began as she pushed his body to the edge of the seat and squeezed herself between him and the thick (but not really comfortable) cushions of the old couch. "You don't deserve it, and there's no way I'm going to sleep without you…!" her fingers reached out for the small round ears on his white hat. "You're like my teddy bear."

As he struggled to not fall of the large but narrow seat, Finn felt how his cheeks burned in a bright blush. Though, he couldn't tell if it was because Flanna's words had been too corny or because he was still a bit shy around her.

"Tell me what will I be supposed to do when you leave tomorrow, huh?" the red-haired woman complained, using her arms to pull Finn back and spoon him against her.

"I could… tell you a bedtime story." Finn said. "You like those, don't you? The stories, I mean. You know, since you read a lot and stuff… And then you could remember it, and tuck Lil' Flare in bed with you… as you think of me…"

"I do. But I've never heard a bedtime story before." Flanna whispered calmly. "What are they? Fairytales or somethin'?"

"Yeah," Mertens turned himself around to face his wife and tangled his fingers in her long reddish hair. "The ones that start like this…"

_Once upon a time in a magical land, far far away from ours… An Evil King of Fire locked his daughter on a crystal lantern. He never let her go out to play, and he would never tell her bedtime stories at night. She was a sad Princess of Flames._

_Many years passed by, until one day, a brave adventurer heard about the sad princess. He was a cool guy, like a cool super hero. An awesome warrior with mathematical skills and_—_…_

"Finn!"

_Alright… He was just a cool guy. But he was the bravest of all, and nothing could stop him from entering the Evil King's Palace to rescue the princess! The adventurer jumped the longest distances, climbed the highest towers, and fought an entire army of fiery bad guys just to reach the Royal Chamber, where the sad princess had been waiting all her life for a glimmer of hope to set her free._

_And when the adventurer stepped in and locked his blue eyes with the princess' green ones, they both lost their awareness of time. For the princess' beauty contained all of eternity in her smile. And the hero, well… The hero was very handsome as well. He was very strong too! And he also was_—…!

"Finn…"

_The hero was amazing too. Amazing enough to challenge the Evil King of Fire to a deadly combat in exchange of his daughter's freedom and her hand in marriage –– if she would be kind enough accept him, though. And so, BAM! CLANG! CRASH! The king and the hero began their battle! _

_It wasn't easy for the hero to emerge victorious from that terrible battle. The Evil King of Fire was much more powerful than him, but the brave adventurer managed to hold on, and he fought 'till the end! The Evil King of Fire surrendered, letting the hero reach the crystal lantern where the sad princess was._

_When he opened that golden cage and set the sad Princess of Flames free, the adventurer made her a promise in exchange of a favor. He asked her for a kiss and in return, he'd take her to explore the great wide world with him. He'd show her what freedom was…_

_That day the Princess of Flames discovered that she was addicted to two things; the sparkling kisses that she shared with her hero, and the never-ending thrills of adventuring. Proving that when you least expect it, someone can walk into your life to set you free from your sorrow. Sometimes with hope, and sometimes with love…_

"The end." Finn smiled, barely keeping himself awake just like the young woman next to him.

"What a lucky princess, huh?" Flanna yawned.

"I'd say the hero was the one who got lucky." Her husband replied, resting his hand on top of hers. "Sad princesses are very hard to find these days. Thankfully, I've got mine right here…"

"I'm not a princess, Finn." Flanna chuckled in disbelief. "I can't be one…"

"Yes you are." Finn whispered, nestling her body in his arms, probably for the last time in weeks, or months even. He caught some muffled coughs coming from his chest, just where she was resting her head, but he decided that illnesses didn't exist in the world that night. He decided that Flanna was the same fourteen-year-old girl that he had fallen in love with… and that he was the hero meant to set her free, meant to bring her hope and love. "You are my Princess of Flames."


	7. The Nightosphere

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 7: The Nightosphere**

And as soon as the sunshine fell upon the golden fields, Finn Mertens, now properly equipped to travel into the unknown with his old trusty backpack and his white bear hat, stood outside of his house, ready to bit farewell to his family. He glanced at his wife with a smile and asked her to turn herself around while she covered her eyes, there was a small surprise that he had been meaning to give her. Finn pulled the gift out of his pocket and proceeded to tie it carefully on Flanna's neck. She gasped with joy once she was allowed to peek at her new necklace. It was more like a choker made with a simple string and a small stone carved in the form of a flame. It shined like gold thanks to the sun as its light was reflected on the charm's surface.

"_For Flanna, who sets my heart on fire…_" Finn blushed as he read the inscription that he had carved on the golden trinket. "I know. It's too corny, but I couldn't come up with anything better."

"Nah. It's beautiful, I love it!" the young woman said, admiring her new necklace. "Is this… gold?" she asked in awe.

"Fool's gold actually." The farmer chuckled. "I found some while I was plowing the fields and I thought you'd like it. My plan was to give it to you as a birthday present, but I guess… this is a better occasion…" he took her hands in his and stared into his green eyes deeply. "I'll miss you, Flanna. Please take good care of yourself…"

"I will." Flanna assured.

"_Daddy!" _

Milli's voice was heard from afar. It didn't take long before the small girl had reached her father's arms, tackling him down onto the ground. Still wearing her pajamas, Milli had dared to abandon the warmth of her blankets to run into the coldness of that early morning, not wanting to miss Finn's departure. Milli held onto her father's chest, embracing him tightly. Deep inside she wanted him to stay more than anything.

"I know you're doing this for mom…" she sobbed. "But please, try to come back soon!"

Finn returned the embrace. "I promise I'll be back soon, Milli. Don't worry, okay?" the young man managed to sit up, even if his little daughter was now hanging from his neck, and shoved his hand into his pocket. "I have a gift for you too!"

The word "gift" was as effective on Milli as it would be in any child. She immediately let go of Finn's neck and sat down between his legs, waiting with expectation. "Really?!" the girl exclaimed impatiently. "Gimme! Uh… Please!"

"Close your eyes first!" Finn laughed. "And no peeking, okay?"

"Alright, alright!" Milli replied. "Just hurry!"

The young father proceeded to wrap a choker, very similar to the one that he had given to Flanna a moment earlier, on his girl's thin neck. "There you go!" Finn smiled. _"For my little flare…"_ his fingers ran through Milli's short red hair as he added. "Don't ya 'cause any trouble to your mother, promise?"

"Uh-huh… I'll miss you a lot, daddy…" she said, staring at her present with melancholy.

"I'll miss you too, Milli…" Finn whispered, planting a soft kiss on the girl's forehead. "I'll be back soo—uff!" Now the old golden bulldog had tackled the farmer down, just as he was about to stand up again.

Jake pushed his paws into Finn's belly as he licked his face insistently. It was clear that the doggy was going to miss him as well. Flanna and Milli's laughter filled the farmer's ears; it was good to know that this didn't have to be a sad farewell after all. Finn hoped he could be back during midwinter; he wanted to be there for his family during the holidays… He wanted Flanna to be healthy by then…

"Now you be a good guardian dog and watch over the ladies while I'm gone, okay?" Finn said, patting Jake's head. The dog barked enthusiastically in response, wagging his short tail at his best human friend.

The farmer recovered his firm position and faced his wife with a tender smile. Flanna sighed in resignation, knowing that there was nothing that she could do to stop him from leaving. She just returned the smile and embraced him tightly. His arms soon surrounded her as well, letting Flanna feel the secret tears that Finn was trying to hold back as he buried his chin on her shoulder. Then the couple let their daughter join the tender hug, keeping her small body between their chests. It gave Milli a feeling of security and protection that she never wanted to lose.

"I love you." The farmer told them, certain that his two greatest treasures were listening to him. "I'll be with you, always…"

Sadly, the time for Finn to leave arrived sooner than Milli had expected. Lil' Flare remained in her mother's arms, watching how her father walked away from their home… away from them.

"You take good care of yourself, Finn…" Flanna whispered, missing her husband already.

**x~x~x~x~x**

His young brother Ben had asked Finn to let him walk by his side, at least until they reached the border with the woods. The older farmer accepted the suggestion happily. He had passed by his parent's house to say good-bye right after leaving Flanna and Milli behind. Mrs. Mertens must have hugged her older son at least a hundred times before letting him go. It didn't matter if Finn was an adult now; that couldn't keep his mother from being worried to death for him. Mr. Mertens on the other hand, seemed to be quite calmed about the situation. That was his father, a cool man with little to say.

It pained Finn to leave them behind as well, but Mrs. Mertens insisted in encouraging him to go without worrying about them. They would be fine, the old woman assured. They had Ben to look after them, just as they would watch over Flanna's health and Milli's safety. After all, they were a family now. Flanna was like a daughter to both Mrs. and Mr. Mertens, and of course, they were Milli's proud grandparents.

Finn left a while earlier, with the security that his family was going to be safe, even if he wasn't with them. Ben joined him, followed by Bartram who was carrying Finn's traveling gear. The young teenager couldn't help to think of himself as a squire, assisting a brave knight on his mission while he stared at his older brother with admiration. One day, he'd be just like him… a hero.

"So I guess… this is good-bye, huh?" Ben said, watching how Finn petted Bartram with care.

"Yeah." Finn smiled. He faced his young brother, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Take good care of mom. I know dad will be there for her, but he's somewhat…distracted…" he chuckled. "You're the man now!"

"Awesome!" the teenager exclaimed. "Should I take care of Milli and Flanna too?"

"Sure, but don't tell Flanna…" the older farmer winked. "You know how stubborn she is."

"No problem, bro!"

The two brothers shared a handshake before they had to part ways. Finn walked into the woods, struggling to remember where Marceline's lair was. It wasn't an easy place to find with the naked eye. The farmer was surprised that his little daughter was always able to find it without difficulty. The tangled vines and thick bushes got in his way very often. Finn found himself stumbling down more than once because of this, but after twenty minutes of minor bruises and scratches, he finally made it into the abandoned subway tunnel that the half-demon lady called home.

"You are late!" Marceline's raspy voice echoed in the darkness. "Hurry up and help me with this, will ya?"

Finn rolled his eyes and approached her as fast as he could. Was he really going to venture into some unknown dimension with that impatient hag as his sidekick? Yes, a long, long journey was ahead of him.

"What are you doin', lady?" the farmed asked, noticing with confusion and curiosity how the old woman struggled to pull something out of a pile of junk.

"You'll know it when you help me get this out!" Marceline replied, "Now hold my back and pull as hard as you can! Ready? One… Two… Three!"

Finn clenched his teeth as his muscles tightened under the pressure that he was exerting on them. Whatever they were trying to yank out was well buried beneath a ton of rusty trash and all sorts of junk. The young man felt that his effort had managed to free the mysterious item a little; this gave him the enthusiasm to increase his strength. With a loud grunt, Finn pulled Marceline and the object free, firing them backwards and into the wall behind them.

"Great job, donkus!" the half-demon coughed bitterly, trying to blow all the dust that had covered her clothes with her hand. "At least you yanked it out!"

"What's that thing anyway?" Finn muttered, pushing the bat lady off his crushed body.

"Say dummy, have you ever used a sword before?" came Marceline's response in a rather gloomy way.

Finn dusted himself off as he got back on his feet. A sword? He could remember that he had been forced to use that kind of weapon a couple of times when he was nothing more than a boy. He had used them to fight Big Destiny, but nothing else. Finn couldn't say that he was a sufficient swordsman. His peaceful life with Flanna, his marriage, and the birth of his daughter had kept him away from the path of adventure. Why would a farmer need a sword?

"Not much…" the young man answered. "I don't think I'd be a fine swordsman…"

"Well, you'll have to become one!" Marceline exclaimed, tossing him a golden sword without warning. "You'll need something to defend yourself from the peril's ahead!"

Finn barely managed to catch it by its black hilt, he would have cut his hand with it if wasn't because he had great reflexes. So that was what Marceline was trying to pull out, a sword! The farmed eyed the weapon with interest. Although the blade was made of pure gold, time had nibbled its edges and many scratches (probably battle wounds) dulled its brightness. Not only that, Finn was used to work as a blacksmith whenever winter buried the farming fields with snow, and this gave him the knowledge and experience to tell that gold wasn't the best metal to forge a sword with. It made the blade heavy and weak, which will surely put him in disadvantage during a battle. No wonder it was so worn out.

The young man slid the sword into his backpack and scratched the back of his head doubtfully. "Well, I don't think we'll get very far with this blade, but I'll try to do my best…"

"Hmm… I guess that should be enough." Marceline said. "Now before we go, I need you to help me with one more thingy!"

"And what would that be?" Finn asked.

A stern smirk grew on Marceline's features. "I need you to help me collapse this cave's entrance."

Finn faced her in astonishment. "B-but, why? I thought this was your only home! I thought you treasured all of this junk and stuff!"

"I do…" the old woman sighed, taking a seat on the cold ground. Her creaky knees were throbbing with pain. "But you see, Mertens. There are some treasures in here that must never reach the hands of mankind…" she took her hat off for a moment as to refresh herself. "It was my duty to guard them, however, now that I'm forced to leave, I can't take any risks. Terrible things could happen if someone would dare to unravel the secrets that lie within my lair…"

"It has something to do with that crown, right?" the farmer inquired, thoughtfully. "What's so terrible about it? I can't see why—…"

"So you wanna know? Are you that curious, foolish boy?" Marceline hissed, grabbing his hand tightly. "Very well! If that's what you need to believe my words!"

The old woman dragged him to the end of her lair, there where the giant frozen bomb lied, crushing a dead king beneath its weight. Finn stumbled onto the ground as Marceline pushed him forward, telling him to place his hand on the golden crown. The young man obeyed even though he was a little reluctant and nervous (inexplicably nervous) about it. Soon his open palm entered in contact with the cold metal and the feeling engulfed him. Cold… Too much cold.

Finn's blue eyes turned white as a vision crept into his mind. He saw himself as a boy, an insane boy. His hair was long and white as virgin snow; sharp claws and teeth complemented his creepy look. The crown topped his head as he whispered.

_I am the hand of madness, a master of the ice and snow! No man, beast or weapon shall oppose me…! Not even time itself! For I am the end and the beginning…_

Behind that unhinged version of himself, Finn was able to distinguish another figure, one of a girl. It drove the cold away, but at the same time it made him feel miserable. She was dead. The farmer couldn't figure who she was out of denial, however, deep within he knew who she was. It was her death what pushed him back to reality, a horrified look seizing his eyes. Finn removed his hand from the crown and reeled himself back, feeling sick. He could just puke in any moment.

"Now you see, Finn?" Marceline sighed. "That crown's only wish is to consume you, your sanity, and your spirit. It must remain hidden, away from any other world or dimension. This place is where it belongs and where it shall remain for eternity. Understood?"

Finn nodded silently, still recovering from the weird shock that touching the crown had given him. Now he felt awful and strangely curious. "Say…" he began. "Are those vision about my…future?"

The old lady put her dirty hat back on her head as she approached the human. "Time's such a mysterious illusion…" she said, taking a seat by his side. "Those visions could be about something that's meant to happen, or about something that's happening in this very moment." A smirk graced her wrinkled face. "Maybe it showed you something that has already happened, don't you think?"

"I don't care as long as it doesn't come true later on." Finn replied. "Okay. Fine, let's bring this place down…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Dust and noise scared the tranquility of the woods. A group of tiny birds was seen flying away just as the subway tunnel's entrance collapsed with Finn and Marceline as the only witnesses of its fall. The farmer remained still and quiet, watching how the half-demon lady walked slowly towards the boulders that had blocked her home's entrance, burying her dearest friend within it.

Something in Marceline's features made him feel sad. He glanced respectfully while she kneeled down, placing her forehead against the rock. Mertens spied the few tears that ran down the old woman's cheek. She was saying good-bye to Simon Petrikov, just like he had done with his family. The only difference was that Marceline would never see Petrikov again.

"I'm sorry…" the young man whispered sincerely, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Nonsense!" he heard her mutter, even though there was gratefulness in her voice. "Help me stand up, dummy! My knees are killin' me!"

Finn shook his head, sending her a soft smile. "Whatever you say, grandma!"

"Say that again, boy, and I swear! I'll stick this book in your butt!" the half-demon yelled, waving the Enchiridion up and down. "Now…! We should start our journey by visiting the only dimension I know how to access to, the Nightosphere."

"Night an' spear? W-what does that mean?" asked Finn.

"Nightosphere! I said Nightosphere, you dumbutt!" Marceline shuddered, staring at him in uneasiness. "That's my father's reign, and with a whole lot of luck he'll accept to lend us a hand."

Finn's eyes fluttered open in awe. "Reign? You mean like a kingdom? Marceline, are you a princess or something like that?"

"Something like that." She smirked. "Now let's see," the old woman walked towards a bush and moved its leaves apart, revealing the drawing of a disturbing face that had been recently soaked with some kind of yellowish and sticky substance. "You have no idea how many hours I spent trying to get the Bug Milk needed to open this portal, Mertens!"

"Wait!" Finn tilted his head in both surprise and disgust. "How do you milk a bug?"

"You don't wanna know." Marceline chuckled as she closed her eyes and chanted. _"__Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum…!"_

And then it happened. Finn couldn't believe it; the drawing that Marceline had made expanded itself and exploded with a blast of fire, right in front of his eyes. A chaotic hell had been opened before him, a hell where he'd have to walk through for Flanna's sake. The nerves invaded his chest, but they couldn't block his enthusiasm. This was a new world to explore, with new dangers to face. Finn didn't know why, but he was thirsty for whatever lied at the unknown. It was a shame that Flanna couldn't come with him to see it; she had been his adventure partner for so many years… Things wouldn't be the same without her.

"Well…" the farmer sighed. "I guess this is adventure time, huh?"

"Don't even try to turn that into a catchphrase, boy!" Marceline hissed. "It will become annoying eventually! Believe me!"

And with that, the nervous daughter and the brave husband left their dimension and stepped into the horrors held within the Nightosphere. Time and space were changed as this happened, making Finn's days slower without him realizing it. Much more slower…

**x~x~x~x~x**

"Come," Flanna smiled softly, welcoming her daughter into her bedroom. "You can sleep with me until your father returns."

The little girl jumped in excitement and climbed onto the large bed to snuggle in her mother's arms. Flanna covered their bodies with the warm sheets as they both slipped down, resting their heads on the same pillow. The young mother turned to face her daughter, noticing a strange doll that was being held beneath her arm.

"What's that thing, huh?" Flanna asked, displaying disconcertment as well as worry.

"Oh! This is Hambo!" Milli answered cheerfully. "Marceline asked me to watch over him while she was gone! He's very old for a teddy bear, and he also stinks a little, but Marceline says that he's a loyal and caring friend."

"We should give Hambo a bath, don't you think?" Flanna chuckled. "And I think somebody else in this bed needs one as well."

"Ow… Fine…!" the girl moaned, accepting the idea without complaining like she used to. She was going to behave to make things easier for her mother and her father. "Mom?"

"Hmm…?"

"Do you think daddy will be back tomorrow?"

Flanna blew the candlelight on the small table next to her bed, leaving the room in a comforting and refreshing darkness. She wrapped her arms around her kid, pulling her closer to her heart. "He'll be back real soon…" the mother whispered. "When you least expect it…"


	8. Grandma

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 8: Grandma**

That cloudy afternoon Milli had the chance to greet a very special someone, someone she had never met, at least not in life. Her mother took her by the hand as they walked up a hill, listening to the wind as it flew through the large willows that covered the area. Those big saddened trees filled the little girl with an air of nostalgia, proper of the place where Flanna was taking her. The old bulldog Jake followed them in silence, his pace slowed down by the weight of the years that rested on his paws.

Soon, mother and daughter crossed the wooden gate of the graveyard and a firm path of dirt welcomed their tired feet. Leaving the swampy road behind was blissful for the two girls. Finally, no more mud on their feet and skirts, no more toads jumping from out of nowhere, and of course, no more annoying mosquitoes. Milli tightened her grip on her mother's hand, as her features grew worried. She didn't like the graveyard, not even a bit.

Marceline had filled her head with stories about the ghosts and devilish ghouls that haunted places like the cemetery and abandoned houses. The old half-demon seemed to be an expert on the subject and thus, Lil' Flare believed in her words without questioning them. Especially when she said that goblins could stretch their arms towards the surface of the earth and drag little kids underground with them. Milli shuddered in fear; she didn't want to be buried alive, much less by ugly goblins.

"Mom, carry me please…!" she cried, "The goblins will catch my leg and pull me down!"

But Flanna denied her demand, not only because there were no such things as goblins in the graveyard, but also because her free arm was already carrying a certain amount of important items that she had brought with her. A bouquet of wild flowers that she had picked with Milli's help that same morning, a flask with pure clear water, a knife, and a piece of cloth… simple items that held a strong meaning for the red-haired woman.

"Don't shout Milli, not in the graveyard." Flanna said in a whispering voice. "We don't wanna disturb the souls of those who rest in here. C'mon, we'll be leaving soon."

"I don't wanna bother 'em, really!" the little girl complained. "If daddy was here, he'd carry me on his shoulders."

"Too bad that's not the case." Her mother asseverated rather harshly. "I'm doing the best I can, so please—!" Flanna stopped her walking. It was an attempt to overcome the sudden dizziness that had taken over her throbbing head. "Ugh…"

She released her daughter's hand to get ahold of one of the tall stone crosses that were scattered around the field. The young mother took a couple of deep breaths, hoping to regain control of her body soon. It helped her a little, but just in case, Flanna slipped down onto the wet ground and rested her back against the cross. Her green eyes were quick to notice the concern and the fear in Milli's face, and she granted her a comforting smile in reply.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She said, offering her hand to the little girl. "See? It was just a little bit of giddiness, but it's passing now."

"A-are you sure?" Milli asked, squeezing her mother's hand. "I'm sorry. I promised dad I would behave so that you wouldn't feel bad and I—"

"Hush… It wasn't your fault. These things happen every now and then. I must have been a bit weary from the long walk. I just need a small rest to feel better." Flanna turned her gaze to the other side, seeking for Jake. She spotted him scratching the ground behind the graves. "Oh look! That's good; Jake's scaring the goblins! They don't like it when dogs dig out their homes, did you know that?"

"They…don't?" the girl said naively.

They both stared at the golden dog while this one just focused on trying to dig out a tiny beetle that had happened to bury itself right after hitting Jake's nose in the middle of its flight. Weak snarls and growls could be heard as his paws scratched the dirt, however, these were soon replaced by loud barks when his ears detected that another presence was approaching them.

Milli and Flanna followed Jake's gaze in curiosity. Back in the distance, amongst the gentle fog that veiled the surroundings of the burial grounds, glowed a mysterious light. Lil' Flare grasped her mother's neck in fear. "It's a ghost!" she cried, pressing her face against Flanna's chest. The young woman squinted to get a better view and chuckled. That wasn't a lost soul trying to scare them; it was the warm light of an oil lantern, carried by the old grave keeper.

"Good afternoon, Archie!" Flanna greeted. Her friendly tone was a relief for the trembling girl in her arms.

"Oh! Hehe, why isn't that Mrs. Flanna Mertens?" Archie said. "Oh! And I see you brought your baby with you! Well, she's not a baby anymore…" he leaned down to detail the shy child better. Milli's fear had vanished, but she still felt somewhat nervous about that short dark-skinned man and his thick brown mustache. "Last time I saw you, you were an itty-little thingy. Almost about the size of my thumb!"

"Quit joking, Archie." The young mother laughed.

"I ain't jokin', it's true!" the grave keeper returned to his standing position, lending Flanna a hand to do the same. "I must say you've got a weird taste for picnic spots!" he eyed Milli and winked. This reminds me of that time when I caught your mom makin' out with your father inside an open grave! Hehehe!"

"No. That wasn't what happened!" Flanna muttered in annoyance. An intense blush was spreading itself across her pale cheeks. "It was an accident, we slipped inside there because of the mud and the rain!"

"Aha… right…" Archie raised an eyebrow. "That's what all the teens say…"

Milli giggled at this while her mother rolled her eyes, clearly bothered by the old man's skepticism. "Well, whatever! I'm not here to chat about the past or to have a picnic." Flanna said. "Finn told me that you would lead me to… her grave."

A more serious expression erased Archie's goofy grin. "Ah yes, that's right. Now I see what brought you here." He gripped his shovel and rested it on his shoulder while he pointed the road ahead with the light of his lantern. "Follow me, please. And watch your step, the part of the graveyard that we're about to enter hasn't been taken care of in years…"

"Let's go, Milli." Flanna instructed, holding her daughter's hand once again. She made only a few steps forward and then turned back to notice that the golden bulldog was still playing with the beetle. "C'mon, Jake! I don't wanna leave you behind!"

"Bark!" the loyal pet exclaimed, running back to her side.

**x~x~x~x~x**

"So, how's the Finn boy doing, huh?" Archie asked as he guided Flanna and company across the neglected burial grounds of the Junktown Graveyard.

"I wish I knew…" the young woman sighed, struggling to hide the affliction in her voice. "It's been a week since he left and I still haven't heard anything from him yet. I'm worried."

"Oh, that's a shame… But hey, keep yer spirit up! I don't think he's gonna leave his family in uncertainty for long. Have a little patience, yeah, that's what momma always used to say. Hehe!" the grave keeper sent a glance to Flanna over his shoulder and smiled. "Besides, Finn's a good man, a good husband, and by the looks of it, a good father. I was impressed by all the eagerness that he showed when we discovered this part of the graveyard a few weeks ago."

"What did daddy do, huh?"

"Well little girl, it all started when I went to yer place, asking your dad to lend me a shovel. I had lost mine somewhere, and he offered me his help to find it. Then, while we were checking the graveyard, your dad asked me about the rusty gate that we're about to pass by in short. I told him: 'Mertens, that's just a patch of tall grass, snakes, and flies!' But as stubborn as your daddy is, he jumped the fence and went to explore that forgotten field on his own. He returned hours later, exclaiming that he had found more graves in there, graves that belonged to important and wealthy families. Guess that, rich folks have no respect whatsoever for their deceased relatives."

"Maybe…" Flanna addressed with grief. "But that wasn't my family's case."

They continued walking through the tall grass, minding their step carefully as they advanced. The mossy tombstones and rusty crooked crosses would keep popping out without warning, making them a passive threat if they weren't cautious enough to avoid them. Milli breathed the gloomy air in silence; the graveyard had stopped being a creepy place for her just moments ago. Now it only seemed to be an unhappy piece of land, and she wondered if the spirits that rested in there were just as sad. The grand statues of crying maidens and sorrowful angels were there to prove her right.

There was a lonely grave on top of a small hill; a withered willow was its only companion. The tall grass and the moss kept the inscription on its tombstone hidden from the rest of the world, and it was there where Archie stopped. Flanna passed him by with Milli following her from behind, while Jake sat at the old man's feet. The red-haired woman had nothing to say, no emotions to display. She just kneeled in front of it, placing the many things that she had brought on her lap. Lil' Flare watched how her mother began to cut the grass that grew around the grave with the knife, revealing an old vase with dead roses inside it.

Once she was finished with the grass, Flanna proceeded to clean the inscription, scratching the moss out with the tip of her knife and then polishing its surface with the piece of cloth and the water. A date and a name appeared before her.

_Solana Hacksworth_

_May 2242 – December 2267_

"She was younger than I remembered…" Milli heard the dull voice of her mother whisper. "Even younger than I am…"

Flanna wiped some tears off her eyes and continued with her task. She grabbed the old flower vase and threw the dead roses away, the last roses her father left so long ago. Her hands polished the glass with care, driving the dust away. She placed it before the grave and filled it with the clear water of her flask, only to deposit the beautiful wild flowers that she and Milli had picked hours ago in it. Flanna stared at the bouquet for a moment and then proceeded to cut one of the stems to rearrange the flowers.

"There…" the young woman said, finally allowing a single smile to bloom in her lips. She kissed her fingertips softly, placing them on the engraved name afterwards. "I'm sorry I left you, mom."

Milli flinched in surprise, understanding that her grandmother was one of the sad spirits that rested in that side of the graveyard. Somehow, knowing that fact made the place seem more peaceful than before. It granted it a meaning.

"Milli," Flanna called, "this is where your grandmother lies—resting in peace, I hope. Let's never forget about her again. She cares for us, we should take care of her grave in return… Pay her visits, and leave her new flowers… She loved flowers…"

"So this is where Mrs. Hacksworth rests…" Archie whispered, taking his hat off as a sign of respect. "I wish I had known before, I wouldn't have let the wilderness take over her grave. I wonder why Mr. Hacksworth kept it secret, why did he abandon his wife? I thought he loved her…"

"He did. He loved her like he hadn't loved anyone before in his life…" Flanna replied. "But that same love pained him too much. He preferred to leave this place behind. He chose to focus on my well-being and education instead. Mom… When I was only a small child we moved here, to the countryside, hoping that the fresh air would help her regain her health. It didn't, but at least she got to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the sweet scent of the flowers before she died. Usually the members of our family are cremated, but my mother loved this land so much that she asked dad to bury her body instead. She wanted to become a part of it."

"I see…" Archie whispered, kneeling beside Flanna.

"I wasn't born here either, but I love this land as much as she did. There are so many things that keep me tied to it; good and bad memories, my first and only romance, and of course, my mother's spirit… That's why I can't stand to watch how Mackie Mann and his men tear it apart. How they destroy everything other families and I treasure… our homes, our land. I can't believe there's nothing I can do to stop them!"

"Yeah… It's a shame." Archie sprung up, a look of despair in his black-colored eyes. "Those dirty guys! They dared to ask if I would sell them the graveyard! Can you believe it? 'Only rocks and useless bones' they said! 'Why not changing them for money?!' They blasphemed! This is a sacred land, not just a plain bone yard! How dare they? Those of sons of a bleep-blop! My family has been responsible of this land's souls for generations! I'd never do such thing!"

"But others will." Flanna whispered. "It has begun, I've seen the exodus happen. Most have sold their farms already. Very few are producing the food that we need to survive. The market is about to disappear, and winter is just around the corner. Soon, those of us who refused to sell will be forced to do it because of hunger… We'll have to move to the city and hope for a miracle. I doubt the working class is having a prosperous time there, and it'll be worse when the winter comes. This is the end."

"Mom?" Milli swore she had seen a tear run down her mother's cheek. The young girl was unable to understand the situation. If only her father was there, he'd know what to do to calm Flanna down. He'd make it all better.

"I just hope I don't have to meet that Mackie Mann in the streets ever again, because if I do, so help me… I'll make him—!"

"Mom. Please, don't get mad!" her daughter begged. "If you do, you'll start feeling sick again! Mom… please…"

Flanna caught Milli in her arms and sighed. Her little girl was right, she had to calm herself down, or else she'd lose control, probably doing something stupid. She'd been tempted to pick a fight with that man more than one, twice this week actually. Without Finn to keep her emotions under control, it had been up to Milli to save Flanna from her own fury. The young mother was glad she'd never do something that could worry or endanger her daughter.

"I won't Milli." Flanna assured. "I promise."

"Mom, if I talk to grandma, do you think she'll hear me?"

"Of course she will!" the red-haired woman exclaimed, almost tearing up in joy. "I know she's somewhere, waiting to help us."

Milli kissed her mother's cheek and then kneeled before her grandmother's grave. Lil' Flare had the firm conviction that she'll listen, just like her mother did. She had seen how Marceline spoke constantly to Simon; she could feel that he always replied, willing to guide her path.

"_Hey Grandma, It's me, Milli. I'm your granddaughter. Please, I know you've never met me before, but you know my mother and she needs you. I bet you don't know who my father is either. His name is Finn and he's a good man. He's always taking care of us. You know, he loves your daughter very much and he's trying to save her. Would you please give him some help, wherever he is?_"

Junktown was falling apart. Flanna knew it and she had a bad feeling about the things that were yet to come. All she wanted to know was, why? She had to find out what was Mackie's interest in Junktown. It was certain that it wasn't because of the gold. Fool's gold was the only thing that her father had ever dug when he used to run the Coalmine. Finn himself had told her that it was easy to find that kind of cheap metal anywhere, if you just carried a shovel with you.

She also had her doubts about Mackie Mann. He was greedy and all, but not smart enough to drive a whole village away from their land. He just couldn't have come up with such a plan. Someone else was behind it all, and Flanna had the hunch that things were about to get personal sooner or later. If Flanna had the chance to restore her homeland like she had restored her mother's grave, she'd do it, no matter what.

**x~x~x~x~x**

"Run, foolish boy! Run!" Marceline screamed.

She was now ridding on Finn's shoulders as a horde of revolting demons chased them throughout the Nightosphere. The human did the best that he could, jumping crumbled towers, avoiding decapitation each time a sharpened blade was thrown at him, and of course, carrying the not-so-light body of his half-demon companion. The poor farmer was utterly confused; didn't Marceline say that she was something like a princess in there? How come they were being attacked? And why the heck did those reddish creatures pooped bananas out of their ears?

"I'm trying!" he yelled back, quickly changing his course to avoid a wall of flames. "You know, it would be easier if I didn't have to carry you!"

"What? My knees are killin' me! Aren't ya going to aid a poor old woman in need?!"

"See?! You're just a 'poor old woman' when it suits you!" Finn complained.

"Shut up and run!" Marceline knocked his head in a rushed manner. "C'mon! Do you want us to get caught?!"

But just as Finn was about to yell back, a large iron cage fell from the crimson skies. Both the human and the half-demon crashed against the bars, glimpsing a bat-like demon land on top of their cage. The red-skinned creature withdrew his wings and smirked ominously before everything went black and hazy for the two new prisoners.

**"_No one leaves the Nightosphere!"_**


	9. Hunson Abadeer

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 9: Hunson Abadeer**

Finn forced himself back to consciousness, nothing felt right. For a moment, the farmer got to believe that he was sleeping on his living room's floor, like he used to when Milli was just a baby and the coldest season of the year was on. When they spent their first winter with the newborn girl, searching for warmth in front of the fireplace couldn't be helped. There was one night in particular when the cold winds struck their small house so hard, that the bedroom's windows were destroyed, letting the blizzard in. Finn had to cover Flanna and her baby with the few blankets that they used to sleep with as he led her out of the room, to then battle with the strong freezing gusts that wouldn't let him block the window and slam the door shut.

Somehow it seemed that the house was colder on the inside than the frozen outside world, and the two worried parents, fearing that their fragile baby would not be able to survive her first winter, resorted to every source of heat available in their humble home. Finn lit the chimney and then pushed the couch as close to it as possible. Meanwhile Flanna, with the small child in her arms, rummaged through every closet, cabinet, and drawer in search of more sheets. In the end, they managed to wrap their baby in six different blankets and lay her in her mother's warm embrace, while she nestled herself on the old couch. The heat of the fireplace prevented Flanna from shuddering, as the blankets weren't long enough to cover her bare feet. Thankfully, Jake was there share to the warmth of his golden fur while he snuggled over the young woman's feet.

And Finn, pleased to see that his daughter wasn't crying anymore, took a seat on the wooden floor. Not just because the couch had never been large enough to let two adults, one baby, and a dog fit themselves on it and get a comfortable night of sleep, but also because he had to keep an eye on the fire. Nobody knew when could a naughty spark jump out of the chimney and catch the inflammable fabric of the old sheets that covered his wife and his daughter. Although he was exhausted, the young man didn't mind to keep himself awake in the cold. He had a coat on his shoulders, Flanna's hand in his, and the sweet-looking face of his sleeping baby to comfort him and warm his heart. Yes, being a father could be hard, but it sure was rewarding.

"Are you finished dreaming, sleeping beauty?" came Marceline's angry growl.

Finn grunted, loathing the fact of not being home with his family even if he had to lie on the cold floor during a blizzard. It was certainly a hundred times better to wake up with purple-colored frozen toes, than to awake in the middle of the chaotic hellhole that the so-called Nightosphere was. The farmer rubbed his tired eyes and scanned the area. Oh yeah, now it was easy to remember that they had been caught in some sort of cage. Not that the how or when were as fresh in his mind as that fact. Actually, Finn's memories of the past events were rather hazy, distorted, and confusing.

"My head…" Mertens moaned. "How long have I been…?"

"Four days, a week, a month… I don't know," Marceline said. "I lost the count."

The old woman looked like she hadn't slept in years. Her hat had been tossed onto the ground, letting her long black hair spring itself up in a messy manner. There were bags under her eyes, and her voice was raspier and drier than usual. Like him, Marceline was sitting on the ground, leaning her head against the bars. On the rocky wall beside her, Finn was able to distinguish a large amount of crossed out marks, probably carved by the half-demon herself. Indeed, Marceline had lost the count at some point, but the marks that she had managed to draw on the wall before being numbed by the maddening environment of the Nightosphere, indicated that they had been trapped in there for seventeen days, more or less.

"That's like… two weeks…" Finn mumbled in daze. "Plus the other one that we spent wandering through this place without direction… I've been far from home for too long." He mourned. "And I haven't even found the Amaranth yet…"

"Yeah, life ain't fair…" Marceline whispered. "And time ain't fair either. Were you well aware of this, Mertens? Time changes through dimensions. Who knows how much of it will have passed when we return… maybe months, years… or maybe just two seconds. Time is a confusing to toy to play with."

"W-what do you mean?" the expression on the young man's features was one of extreme worry and fear. He managed to pull himself up and walked over to Marceline, holding her shoulders tightly as he demanded. "Tell me. How much time has passed in reality?! How much time has Flanna waited for me?!"

"Let me go, you ugly tramp!" the half-demon protested. "I can't tell you that! I don't have a precise answer!"

Now, if Finn had ever had the patience to be a prisoner, it had been lost. The flow of time in the Nightosphere, and probably in the other dimensions that he still had to explore was different than it was in his home dimension. For what he knew, Flanna could be on the last stage of her illness, she could be dead even! No… The farmer did as Marceline said and tried to calm himself down. Maybe time wasn't flowing as fast in Junktown as his desperate mind had imagined. Maybe he still had a chance to succeed, but first he had to free himself.

"We need to find a way out of this place!" he cried, pulling the golden sword that Marceline had given him in frustration. "Now!"

Marceline shook her head. Finn was now trying to bust his way out through the bars with the sharpness of his blade. It was useless. No matter how hard he tried, escaping from their jail was going to be an impossible task.

"Save your energy, Finn!" the old woman said. "No one leaves the Nightosphere! Believe me!"

The farmer turned and faced her with exasperation. "Then what do you want me to do?! Sit here and wait 'till Death takes our souls away?!"

"I don't know about Death, but the Lord of Evil will." This caught Finn's attention and Marceline proceeded. "Our souls come from the world of humans, I'm sure he'll love to suck them right away. But… I wonder what's taking him so long…"

"You seem rather disappointed about that guy not comin' to kill us…" the farmer reflected. Then he quickly returned to the half-demon's side and lifted her off the ground once again. "Why do you seem disappointed about that?! What are you thinking, Marceline?!"

"I think there's something weird going on in here." She answered, staring at him in a thoughtful manner. "It must have something to do with the crazy demons that were chasing us before, remember?"

"Revolution." A voice replied in the distance.

Marceline bit Finn's hand, forcing him to put her back on the ground. The human tossed her immediately and complained like (in her own words) a big baby, irritated and frustrated by the insane situation that he had gotten himself into. However, the tantrums of the two mismatched teammates were soon silenced as a pair of red glowing eyes approached their cell.

"Hey! Show yourself, coward!" Finn demanded as he gripped his hands on the bars.

"Shut it, Finn!" Marceline yelled. "Who is it? And what the flip do you mean with 'revolution', huh?"

"I'm just a simple dude." The voice answered. "My job is to keep all the prisoners inside their cells, where they belong. But that was before…the revolution…"

Finn and Marceline were abruptly startled afterwards, as whomever was speaking turned the lights on, blinding them in the instant. It took them both a while to get used to the new source of light and be able to inspect their new surroundings. Fire pits, and hundreds and hundreds of cells, each one with their own demon prisoner, were revealed when the darkness was pushed away. Finn fell back onto his butt, amazed. He was in hell and there was no way to deny that fact.

"Yes. Yes." Marceline went to the back of the cell, she picked her hat up with difficulty and then she proceeded to dust it off, before placing it back on her head. "This place hasn't changed." She sent a glance to the jailer. "Can you let us out of this cage?"

"No." the bat-like creature replied. "I told you, my job is to keep the prisoners where they belong. Where is that? In their cells. I think I was clear enough."

"Yeah… But you said something about a revolution, right?" Marceline continued, "Like if everything was different now. Doesn't that mean that you can set us free?"

The demon blinked as he analyzed Marceline's words. "Hmm… maybe…" he shook his head in confusion. "Look I don't know, okay? Ever since we chained the boss down things have gone crazier than usual around here. Nobody knows what to do with our new gained freedom. We have the independence to choose, I guess, but we aren't used to this amount of liberty."

"Interesting." The half-demon whispered.

Finn gave her an impatient look. Why was she trying to play wise with that guard? There was no way that an eight-hour discussion about freedom and revolution could get them out of that stinky cage. Brute strength wasn't the answer either, then what or who was going to get them out of that infernal jail?

"To truly understand freedom, one must put it into practice…" said Marceline, who was now sitting like some kind of renowned guru on the ground. "Give freedom to the imprisoned and you'll find the way… or somethin'."

"Yeah! Makes sense!" the jailer exclaimed. He flew up to the strange statue of a hideous monster in the center of the chamber and landed on top of its head. The demon pulled the two swords on his back out, thrusting them on the monster's skull with joy. "Brothers and sisters! His Lowness, the Lord of Evil has fallen! We are free from the boss' constant oppression! And after finding illumination, thanks to the ugly old demon lady over there… I will set you free as well!" the Demon Guard spread his crimson wings and soared away as every cell was being magically opened. "Enjoy your freedom…!"

Finn dropped his mouth in astonishment. He couldn't believe how easy it had been for Marceline to trick that demon. How come that hadn't happened seventeen days earlier? "Please, don't tell me this was your plan the whole time." The farmer said as he helped the old woman to stand up again."

"Of course not, fool! My original plan was to sit and rot in there until the Lord of Evil decided to suck our souls!" she explained. "No kidding! Luckily for us, that dweeb happened to meddle in or else, we wouldn't have escaped… or learned about His fall…"

"You mean the Lord of Evil? Who is he? You haven't stopped talkin' about that guy since we entered the Nightosphere." The human commented as he walked by Marceline's side.

They made only a few steps forward and that big monster statue was now in front of them. Finn waited for Marceline to reply, but when she refused to answer, the only thing he could do to confront that awkward silence was to study the statue. It was a horrific sight indeed, if that thing was the so-called Lord of Evil, then Finn hoped to keep himself as faraway from him as possible. Two details caught his attention. One, the monster was wearing an elegant business suit, just like the city people. And two, there was a inscription at the statue's feet with the message:

_Hunson Abadeer_

_Our Great Leader_

_Is With Us For_

_Eternity_

Then it hit him. Marceline had been talking about her father as the ruler of the Nightosphere; however, she had failed to mention that his title was "Lord of Evil". Seeing how even his own people despised him; this Hunson Abadeer couldn't be someone to rely on. An unnerving question invaded Finn's mind then, was Marceline reliable? As far as he knew, she came from out of nowhere. She was weird, sometimes scary, not to mention that she was very instructed on black magic, curses and such.

Who was Marceline? To Finn, she was the mysterious old lady that his daughter had met in the woods. Someone that Flanna mistrusted since Milli brought her in, but that he insisted on letting stay. Because, then again, Flanna had the tendency to mistrust people to the point were it was ridiculous. However, now that it was clear that Marceline was more a monster than a human, how could Finn trust in her? How could he know that she isn't just luring him to the Lord of Evil so that he could devour his soul? What was he supposed to do now?

"My father…" Marceline whispered, answering something that was pretty obvious now. "I haven't seen him in centuries… Does he even remember that I exist?"

Something in her voice was so sad, Finn found it hard to believe in his own assumptions about this strange old lady. The little he knew about Marceline was that she had spent her entire life living in a cold abandoned tunnel with her friend Simon Petrikov. She was just seven-years-old by then, three years older than his daughter. That "bomb thing" had crushed her only friend, and her so-called father was never there for her. Thinking of Marceline as a lonely child made the farmer reflect on Milli, what if she ever had to live a similar situation? How can a father just leave his daughter behind without a reason and forget about her? Finn knew he wouldn't, Milli was everything to him.

"Marceline, if you want to…" Finn said respectfully. "You can talk to me about your father."

The half-demon eyed the Hunson Abadeer statue and sighed. "Fine… I guess it'll be helpful for me as well."

What can I say? In the beginning, my family was much like yours is now. We were a happy family of three: a loving mother, a hardworking father, and an innocent child. They would call me Little Marcy back then. I don't recall exactly when or how we got separated. All I remember is that my father got a job that involved a lot of traveling, spreading evil to various faraway kingdoms. He disappeared for centuries. In the meantime, the Great Mushroom War had begun in your world. I lost my poor unfortunate mother as we strived to survive in that savage environment. I was five by then, a lost five-year-old in the wreckage of the world. It was then that fate led me to Simon, another confused and miserable soul. We grew to be more than friends; our bond was that of a father and his daughter… Petrikov was the father I never had.

Oh, but he carried a great curse with him. That damned Crown condemned him to lose his sanity, little by little. However, it gave him the power to end the war with his sacrifice. The bomb crushed him, and his death gave birth to the boring world you now know as home. I promised Simon, with tears in my eyes that I would never leave his side. I swore I'd keep that Crown safe, hidden from the world. Many years passed then, I was already a teenager when my father found me again. He invited me to join him in the Nightosphere, he begged and he roared, but I remained firm to promise because Simon had been there when I needed a father the most, not him. He left, ranting indignantly about my "foolish mortal behavior."

"And I never got to see my father again, until today." Marceline concluded, a look of sorrow in her eyes.

"You've never had it easy, huh?" Finn smiled, hoping to boost some confidence in her. Marceline's story was confusing and hard to understand, but the farmer chose to believe in her anyway. Milli had chosen the same, so why wouldn't he? "Marceline," Finn laid his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, if you don't wanna see your father, you can stay here while I look for him. It seems that he's in trouble right now, I bet he could use some help!"

Marceline seemed surprised at first, but she soon found the meaning in his words and smiled back, finally feeling at ease. "You'd do that for me, an old grumpy raggedy half-demon?"

"Of course I would," Mertens nodded. "Friend."

**x~x~x~x~x**

The days at Junktown had grown colder, the streets emptier and the town lifeless. Mrs. Mertens remembered the market being the most crowded, hustled and noisy part of her dear homeland. Now it was more like a ghost town. Not even in Big Destiny's days had Junktown looked this miserable. She sighed and continued walking. Flanna was accompanying her, as well as the little Milli, who was now dragging a creepy long-limbed doll with her everywhere she'd go. Mrs. Mertens had asked Flanna where had Milli found such thing, the red-haired girl gave her a simple reply: "Hambo is a friend."

The three women continued with their road in silence, which had only been broken by Flanna's coughing every now and then. The cold of the arriving winter was worsening her condition, no matter how much she tried to hide it from the ones who cared about her. Mrs. Mertens was experienced enough to notice that kind of things, she was a mother after all and Flanna was like a daughter to her.

"Here…" the blonde woman said, when she got the chance to talk to Flanna after buying some bread. "Wrap yourself up, my dear." She insisted as she offered Flanna her scarf.

"Oh, no, no. That's yours! You need to keep yourself warm too!" her daughter-in-law replied nervously.

"Flanna, you better wrap this thing around your neck now, or I'll be forced to slap you!" Mrs. Mertens asseverated, though it was hard to tell if she was being serious or not about slapping her.

"Alright, alright." Flanna chuckled. "If you put it that way!"

"Yeah mom, you better behave!" Milli added.

"You better behave~" the young mother aped, teasing her kid.

They continued their shopping as the other farmers kept leaving Junktown behind, and the stores kept going bankrupt in front of their eyes. Flanna had to learn to watch this with her arms crossed, even though she wished she could do something to save her hometown. Once Finn returned, it'd be their turn to leave. There was nothing else to do; nothing could stop their departure from happening. It was either leaving and surviving, or staying and dying. At least Mr. Hacksworth had already heard about the situation and he had proceeded to make the arrangements necessary to lodge Flanna along with Finn's entire family in his roomy house at the city. Not that Flanna was excited about the idea, but she was grateful at best. Not many had the luck of having a wealthy father that would look after them.

Flanna helped Mrs. Mertens carry the few bags that they had managed to buy towards the cart that Bartram was pulling. Milli was sitting inside it with a panting Jake by her side. The young mother smiled at both and then placed the bags next to them. She was ready to get a hold of the mule's reins when two strong hands pulled her back. Someone had gotten her arm as well, and two more were holding her legs tightly. They were weeping and shivering. Flanna managed to snap out of her scare only to realize that the Destiny Gang was trying to hide behind her.

"Please Miss Firefly, don't let them take us…!" Tremi cried, pulling her shoulders back.

"Yes, oh brave and honest, Firefly!" Trumo said as he hid behind her right leg. "Tell 'em we're innocent! We haven't done anything bad!"

"It's true! We've been lost without Big-D!" Tromo exclaimed, holding her left hand. "Miss Firefly save us!"

Trami was hugging her back as if his life depended on it. "Please Flanna, you're the only who can stand up for us and make justice! Please, we beg you! Save us, Flanna! Save us!"

"Guys, what's wrong?" the red-haired woman ended up asking in concern, sensing that those four scaredy-cats were telling her the truth.

"Easy, Flanna…" Mackie Mann walked up to the scene, followed by what seemed to be seven men of the City's Police Force. Mr. Mann smirked and pointed the four trembling men behind her with his index finger. "The Destiny Gang is under arrest for the abduction of Mr. Choose Bruce!"

Flanna tensed her jaw as a glare seized her features. She remembered that Choose Bruce would always gather the townsfolk and preach about the hidden intentions of the Gold Hunters that were buying their farms. He was trying to warn the people about something. However, Flanna never got to see him again in a month, right after Finn left on his journey. She thought the rhyme-maniac merchant had left like the others, but now it was clear that it wasn't the case.

Something weird was going on, it was obvious to her. "Don't worry, Destiny Gang," Flanna assured, trying to comfort them. "I believe you guys."

* * *

**Hope you liked this chapter guys! Thanks again for the reviews and the support, I'll see you soon with more!**


	10. The Huntress

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 10: The Huntress**

Flanna never thought she'd ever feel sad for the Destiny Gang, but as she watched the four thugs being cramped into a prison cart for a crime that they hadn't committed, it was hard for her to not pity them. Especially since they had resorted to her so desperately, believing that —as a former heroine, she would be able to save them. Flanna wished she could though. Since Big Destiny left, they hadn't done any harm to the community without Finn punishing them for it. They were nothing more than simple bandits now, and whether the red-haired girl still held a grudge on them or not for the troubles that they gave her in the past, it wasn't going to change her idea that —at least this time— those four jerks were innocent.

"Miss Firefly!" Trami called, sobbing through the bars. "Aren't ya and Mr. Hero Boy goin' to help us?"

Flanna approached them in silence and sighed. "Finn's not here but… I know there's something fishy going on here, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this!" she offered them a friendly grin. "I'll find a way to get you out, I promise."

The four thankful men pulled her hand into their cage, kissing it wishfully, much to her disgust. "You're the best, Miss Firefly!" they cheered. "Glad we didn't kill ya at the mine ten years ago!" "We'll never forget this!" "Marry me!" she heard Trami exclaim.

"Please don't!" Flanna protested, retrieving her hand and cleaning it with her skirt. "And I'm afraid I'm already taken, so don't even dream about it, Trami."

Those guys had more problems than she thought, mental problems. Either way, Flanna had made a promise, and she was going to fulfill it. The coachman ordered his black horses to move forward and in an instant, the Destiny Gang was out of reach. However, the route that the prison cart had taken wasn't the one that led to Junktown's jail. It was easy for Flanna to notice it, she and Finn themselves had already taken those thugs there in countless occasions. Just where were those officers taking the Destiny Gang?

It was then that an annoying laughter reached her ears, and Flanna found herself facing Mackie Mann once again. That man made her sick, if not more than she already was. Out of instinct, the redhead walked up to him. The difference in height between the two was remarkable, with Flanna being the one lifting her chin up in an attempt to not be intimidated by him. Mackie Mann, whose yellow pointy hat made him look even taller, leaned downwards with a daffy grin and blinking eyes.

"How may I help you, milady?" he chuckled.

Flanna eyed her daughter, playing with Jake in the cart while Mrs. Mertens bargained with one of the shopkeepers behind them. Fearing that she might worry her family, the young mother asked Mackie Mann to lean in with a gesture of her finger, only to grasp his collar and drag his ear to her lips. "You're comin' with me…" she whispered more as a threat than a petition.

She drove the businessman to a nearby back alley and slammed him against a wall, sill clenching his shirt's collar. Mr. Mann remained disturbingly calmed despite this, with his silly smile and his eyes lost in time and space.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on, but I do know one thing!" Flanna asseverated. "You are behind all of this, aren't ya? Where are they taking the Destiny Gang?"

Mackie Mann curved his lips and shrugged. "That's classified."

The young woman tightened her grip on his collar and said. "You must think we're all nothing but fools, offering us a treasure that doesn't exist in exchange for our land! Take a good look at my necklace and tell me that the cheap metal it is made of isn't the same that you offered to every farmer in here!"

The tall man studied the trinket in silence, noticing Finn's caring inscription on it. "My…! It is cheap! Who gave you that thing? Your simple-minded husband?" In an outburst of anger, Flanna pushed him forward, smashing the back of his head against the wall. "Dear, oh dear… So much violence!"

"Don't even dare to offend Finn or anyone in my family ever again, you hear me?!" she yelled.

"But Flanna, I am part of your family too!" Mackie Mann snickered. "You know, your dear cousins, Francis and Thomas, grew quite excited when I told them I found you in this…forgotten corner of the world…" there was a hint of disgust in his voice. "Though, nobody seemed delighted when I informed them of your questionable decision of, you know, mixing the fine blood of your lineage with the uncivilized one of someone like, ahem, Mr. Finn… act in which you two conceived that mini copy of yourself… heh."

"That was it! I'm gonna—" Flanna roared.

Mackie Mann prepared himself to receive another hit from the furious woman, but Flanna somehow managed to contain her fury. No, it wasn't that she had restrained herself. Mr. Mann opened his eyes and squinted, noticing worry in the woman's features. Her green eyes were focused on the back of her hand, where a couple of crimson drops had landed. She immediately let go of him, saving her anger for later.

"Flanna, are you feeling alright?" he asked. "I think your nose has a bloody leak, you should see a doctor…!"

"And you should shut up!" she snapped. "You think I don't know what you're trying to do? Don't get digressed from the main subject! You and your men are searching for something and it isn't gold! Tell me what is this all about!"

Mackie Mann folded his arms and turned his head sideways. "I'm not telling you, it's classified. Sheez!"

"Oh yeah?" Flanna smirked. "Where's Choose Bruce then?"

"He is in—whoa! Wait!" the businessman choked nervously. "How am I supposed to know that? The Destiny Gang kidnapped him, that's why we arrested them."

Flanna wiped the string of blood that was slowly descending from her nose, sighting calmly. "Sounds more like you're using them to cover up somethin'…"

"Cover up—?! My, what a wild imagination!" Mackie sang. "What could be more dangerous than that? Ya wanna create hesitation?" he grasped Flanna's shoulders, squeezing them tightly until she made a gesture of pain. "Now listen, you brat. For the sake of your petty family, stay out of this business, none of this concerns you. The law is on my side, y'all selling this land to me through clean legal deals. I have the right to do whatever I want with it, and everything you do against me will be considered a crime… So, unless you wanna join the Destiny Freaks, keep yer dripping nose out of this!"

Mr. Mann pushed her aside with a grunt and made his way out of the shadowy alley. Flanna was left to sit down next to one of the many brick walls that surrounded her. She felt her head throb and her vision seemed to turn blurry unless she blinked to clear her eyes out. Each encounter with Mackie Mann worsened her condition, it was clear that the state of her emotions had much to do with her illness. No wonder why her mother had moved to the countryside in search of clean air and a peaceful environment.

Peace… It had faded so fast from her beloved Junktown, right before her eyes. Flanna leaned her head on the wall, glancing the grayish heavens. Cold snowflakes began to rain upon her. Winter had arrived. The cruelest season of the year was her deadline; she could no longer wait for Finn's return without endangering their family. Junktown could no longer offer them food and shelter, they had to join the many other families in their migration to the city if they wanted to survive.

To worsen things up, Flanna was now the only witness of Mackie Mann's hidden intentions. The warning he just gave her made it obvious that behind that goofy grin of his, existed a dark mind. Would she stay out of the situation, watching with folded arms how Mackie Mann gets away with his tricky plans? Of course not, Flanna felt that she had to —at least— fulfill her promise to the Destiny Gang. Wherever they had been taken, Choose Bruce must be there as well, punished for trying to uncover Mackie Mann's devilish plans.

There was no way Flanna would allow him to imprison innocent people for his own benefit. Without Finn, it was up to her to defend Junktown's citizens, whether they were jerks or not. She would perform one last act of bravery before abandoning the land that watched her grow. If she couldn't save it, knowing that she rescued its people would be enough consolation for Flanna.

"Think you can stop me with your threats, Mackie?" she snickered. "It takes more than that to scare me. I don't know what are you up to…"

"But I will hunt you down, like the animal you are and I'll uncover your true intentions…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

"Look mommy, it's snowing!" Milli exclaimed, stamping her nose against the cold glass of the window.

"Tomorrow the fields will be covered with a white soft veil, the pines in the woods will look like if someone had sprinkled them with sugar, and the lakes and ponds will soon be frozen. They'll glimmer with a silver light in the morn, it will be beautiful…" Flanna sighed. "Just like when your father and I used to slide down hill in the snow and then spent the rest of the day skating on the ice…"

Milli turned to her mother, noticing the nostalgia in her saddened features. "Mom? Are you sad because dad won't be here for the holidays?"

"Who says he won't be here?" Flanna replied, giving her daughter a weak smile. "We'll wait for him two more weeks, he should be here by then!"

She wanted him to be back even sooner than that if possible, the long wait had grown torturous for her. Flanna never wanted Finn to leave in the first place, she always felt better when he was there. With him gone, she felt even weaker. If it weren't for her daughter, she would probably be cloistered in bed already. Flanna missed waking up next to him; she missed how he embraced her through the night, and how they would make love when the temperature dropped in the room. She missed glimpsing him pass by every now and then when he was working at the fields, and yet, she would still place her eyes in the distance, searching for Finn, hoping to see him running back to her. It was dumb, but she even got to miss the creaking sound of his mechanical arm, driving her out of her silent readings.

The young mother shook her head with a smile. It wasn't time to reminiscence about that silly farm boy. It was getting late, and soon it would be time to act. Flanna took Milli away from the window and carried her to the bedroom. She carefully laid her child on the bed and began to undress her. She turned away from Milli for a moment in search of her pajamas. When she was back, Milli was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright…! I'm counting 'till three, and if I don't find my daughter right where I left her, I'll have to let the goblins enter… Everybody knows they are experts in finding naughty kids that won't go early to bed!"

"But mom…!" came the girl's complaint. "I'm not sleepy! Jake and Hambo aren't either!"

"Millieana Mertens, get over here before I go search for you!" Flanna warned. "You know I'm an excellent tracker, and believe me, you don't want me to find you! I'll feed you to the goblins!"

"Fine…"

The little girl crawled from beneath the bed and let her mother put her pajamas on. Flanna covered her with the sheets afterwards, placing Marceline's doll by her side. Milli embraced Hambo and yawned softly, waiting for her mother to blow off the candle that lighted the room.

"Mom, aren't you going to sleep with me tonight?" the little girl asked, scratching her eyes in a sleepy manner.

"I'm very busy with my studies, Milli…" her mother apologized. "Miss Bonnibel wants me to help her with some long and tedious boring works, I'm sorry."

"Why can't I stay up with you?"

"Because you need to rest if you wanna grow strong and healthy." Flanna whispered. She stroked her daughter's hair softly. "I will stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story?"

"I only know one, Milli…" the young mother answered in worry. "The same one I told you yesterday, you'll get bored of it…"

"No…" Milli yawned again. "I like it a lot, it reminds me of dad… Please, mom…"

"Very well." Said Flanna, closing her eyes to imagine herself back in Finn's arms.

_Once upon a time in a magical land, far far away from ours… An Evil King of Fire locked his daughter on a crystal lantern. He never let her go out to play, and he would never tell her bedtime stories at night. She was a sad Princess of Flames._

By the time Flanna had finished the story, Milli had fallen deeply asleep, with Hambo resting in her tiny arms. The young mother sighted in relief and leaned to blow off the candle. She stayed in the room, watching her little girl sleep, oh how she loved her. Mackie Mann's words echoed in her mind, about how her other family would probably despise Milli for not being the offspring of a fine wealthy gentleman. How couldn't they see that the most beautiful things in the world couldn't be bought with their dirty money, because of the simple fact that they were entirely free? Those people were the simple-minded, the ignorant, and the brutes. For Flanna, living a humble life was worth all the pain and the effort if that meant keeping Finn and Milli by her side. Even if she were to die young like her mother before her, Flanna would die happy, satisfied.

She kissed her daughter's cheek before leaving the room, followed by Jake. "No." she told the bulldog in a quiet voice. "Stay with Milli, watch over her while I'm gone tonight."

"Bouw?" the dog moaned, tilting his head.

"It's a secret." Flanna whispered, patting his head. "I'll be back before dawn."

With that, the young woman disappeared in dark corridor of her house. Jake lied down by Milli's bedroom door for what seemed to be hours until his ears caught the sound of footsteps in the darkness. It was then when he spotted a cloaked figure, dashing out through the kitchen's door.

Flanna sneaked furtively through the bushes. She took a deep breath and covered her face with a black mask, just in case the hood veiling her features wasn't enough protection. With a bow and a quiver full of green arrows, the red-haired girl moved within the darkness, searching for a weak target. Her quest led her to a lonely meadow, not far from the market where she had been that morning. Her green eyes were sharp enough to descry horse and cart tracks on the ground. She crouched down and felt the earth beneath the thin snow.

"These marks are too deep. Somebody must have passed by with a heavy load today." Flanna whispered. "I must be on the right track."

She followed the clues on the road before her. They guided her to a nearby forest. The treetops became her hideout as she waited for the prey she knew would come in a matter of minutes. There it was, the same prison cart that Mackie Mann's men had used to capture the Destiny Gang. It was just returning from its last delivery. The cage was obviously empty and the coachman seemed exhausted enough to become scared by any simple trick.

He wandered alone, mumbling to himself as his horses walked at a slow pace so that nobody could hear them in the dead of the night. "Man, I hate my job…" he growled. "I wanna go home before—what the?!"

His horses neighed in fear, retreating from the road before them. The coachman struggled to calm them down as he spotted the cause of the animals' distress. A green arrow had been fired right in front of their trotting hooves. The frightened man gulped, searching blindly on his surroundings for his attacker. Suddenly, a loud bump was heard on the back of his carriage. He nervously turned his head towards the sound. An arrow was being aimed at his big round nose.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Miss Bonnibel arrived early in the morning to share breakfast with Flanna and Milli. She was aware of Finn's delay and it made her worry for the two lonely ladies living in his house. The school teacher stepped in, hanging her snow-covered jacket on the coat stand by the door. An excited Jake and a still sleepy Milli received her in the kitchen, waiting for Flanna to finish cooking the bacon and the eggs.

"Good morning, y'all!" Miss Bonnibel greeted. "How is it going, girls?"

"Terrible!" Flanna exclaimed, coughing within a cloud of smoke that was curiously rising from the oven. "I can't even cook a single thing without burning it or setting the whole kitchen on fire!"

"I guess Finn was the one in charge of that, huh?" Bonnibel chuckled.

"No kiddin'!" Milli added. "Mom can even burn the water of the sink!"

"Thanks for the unconditional support, kiddo…!" her mother complained.

Miss Bonnibel rolled her eyes, thank heaven she had decided to pass by or the two redheads would have starved without her. The school teacher forced Flanna to sit down and took control of the oven. It wasn't long before they were enjoying some scrambled eggs with bacon and a good cup of hot coffee to help drive the cold away.

"Crude winter, huh?" Bonnibel said. "It started rough this year."

"Yeah, I know, right? Last night was freezing!" Flanna commented.

"Talking about last night, haven't you read the news yet?" the teacher asked, handing the newspaper to Flanna. "You gotta look at this, it seems that somebody heard your prayers, Flann."

"_Last night a man was assaulted on his way home…" _the young mother read while her mentor and her daughter listened attentively. _"The victim was identified as a worker of the Wazoo! Digging Company, directed by the now well-known businessman, Mackie Mann, owner of a 90% of Junktown's farming lands. The victim was unable to describe the appearance of his attacker. The only clues obtained from him were that it was a young woman, possibly on her twenties, cloaked with a hood and a mask. Her weapon of preference is a bow, which she uses to shoot green arrows. The Wazoo! Digging Company has addressed this mysterious attacker as 'The Huntress' and they have offered a remarkable reward for her capture, as she is a potential threat for the progress that this company is willing to achieve by exploiting the riches of our land. Nothing was stolen from the victim and no damage was caused to his physic integrity. It has been confirmed that the Huntress used him to subtract important information that could put at risk the security of the aforementioned digging company."_

"Hmmm… Seems more like an excuse to start a publicity campaign to me…" Flanna said, remaining in a total state of tranquility.

"Maybe it is…" Miss Bonnibel reflected. "But if it isn't, that 'Huntress' gal is up to no good. Can you imagine it? Risking her life to mess with such a powerful company, humph! She's gonna end up in jail, I tell you!"

"Well, I didn't understand anything…" Milli said, trying to be part of the discussion. "But I think she must be very brave!"

Flanna smirked, "Of course. That's just what Junktown needs."

* * *

**It's been a while since I updated this fic, I'm sorry! I got side-tracked by real life and other things, but anyway, here it is!**

**Some people have commented that they have trouble understanding the time issue in the Nightosphere... Well, there's no need to worry about it, the next chapter will make that clear for you! In other news, some of you suggested that Finn should encounter his Ooo-self on his multidimensional journey... What an awesome idea, people! I hadn't thought about that, I'm tempted to use it! You see the importance of your comments for this story? I might also let you choose another thing.**

**You see, I have two options regarding to whether Finn and Flanna should be reunited close to the end of the story or before it. The two options work fine for me, but I don't know which of them would you enjoy the most. So, should I make them meet each other in the upcoming chapters or by the ending ones? Their destiny is in your hands!**

**Thanks for all the support, guys. I'll see you soon!**


	11. From a Father to Another

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 11: From a Father to Another**

His fingers trembled from exhaustion and from the pressure that he was exerting on them. Finn had been climbing down an abyss for seven hours, probably more if his judgment of time was correct. His search for the imprisoned Hunson Abadeer had led him there, to a dark deep tunnel in the middle of the forgotten wastelands of the Nightosphere. Sweat slipped down his forehead. The poor young man could barely take the heat of the flames that erupted every now and then beneath him, at the bottom of that infernal pit where the demons had pushed their leader during the revolution.

Now, a barely educated farmer like Finn knew little about overthrowing regimens and political issues. He was a simple man, with simple needs and simple ambitions. Yes, his craving for adventure had been unleashed when he was forced to face the unknown, but diving into hell was something that only a hero would do, not him. Although Finn was a local savior back in Junktown, he didn't want more than he already had. Home wasn't that far away, and when he returned —beaten up, fatigued, and hungry— knowing that Flanna would be there to heal his wounds was more satisfactory than being cheered and acclaimed by the townsfolk. Finn didn't need any of that; all the praise he would ever want to get was in his little daughter's excited stare. On the way she would run to receive him at the door, and kiss him on the face as many times as she could. Milli's admiration was his greatest prize.

Perhaps, when he was only a kid, Mertens would have enjoyed a dangerous quest like this one. Now, however, he knew that his place was at home with his wife and daughter. And he was desperate to go back to them, Finn needed more than anything to end with that perilous journey. Something told him that Flanna needed him, that things weren't going as planned after he left. "Keep descending, Finn…" he groaned to himself. "You'll be with her soon…!"

The young man continued climbing down like this, evading the hideous flames and the sharp edges of the rocks he was clinging to. You could say he was doing pretty well with this, but that was until a black tentacle gripped his ankle and dragged him down. Of course, that wasn't the way Finn wanted to reach the bottom and he dug his scraped fingers onto the rocky wall, using his mechanic arm as support as well. However, the unknown horrors lurking beneath him weren't going to give up that easily. Two more sticky tentacles rose from within the darkness, ripping the human off the wall. Finn was dragged into that infinite void as he screamed in fear, trying to reach out for his sword.

The cold ground welcomed him with a violent thud. The farmer squirmed in pain, swearing that his backbone had been split in two. A pleased laugher reached his ringing ears. Finn struggled to open his eyes and meet the son of a blip blop that had made him crash into the abyss. What the fallen hero saw wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. It was just the scruffy figure of a bluish man with long pointy ears, who wasn't even properly dressed. More specifically, he was in his underwear.

"Fudge cakes!" the strange man cursed. "I almost got ya, but I forgot about this stupid cage! Hey you, come closer so I can have your mortal soul for lunch!"

Finn growled in response, still suffering from the pain that the fall had caused him. Maybe his backbone wasn't broken, but at least one of his ribs was, and Mertens could barely tolerate the twinges that came from it. Taking a deep breath, the farmer used his mechanical appendage to lean upwards and face the stranger.

"You think this is a game?!" Finn yelled in anger. "Don't tell me you're the so-called Lord of Evil…Huston Somethin'!"

"It's Hunson Abadeer! Seriously, if you are brave enough to blaspheme in my name, at least do it right! Darn it! I am the Lord of Evil, the Nameless One, the Faceless Enigma…! Or Johnny Corndog, as they used to call me in my youth hehe…" Hunson walked from out of the shadows in his cell and poked his head between the bars that separated him from Finn. "Oh…! Look at this fine mortal specimen! A human!" he blinked in confusion. "Wait… What is a miserable piece of flesh like you doing in the Nightosphere?"

"I…" Finn breathed, feeling sharp stings of pain running through his nerves. "I came to rescue you… I was told that you could help me find the Amaranth…"

Abadeer stared at the young man with wide-open eyes. "How come a human knows about me, the Nightosphere, or the Amaranth? That's absurd! Where did you get that information?"

"The Enchiridion…" Finn said. "I got it from there… Now please… If you help me, I'll get ya outta here…!"

"Help you…?" A fanged smirk was drawn across Hunson's face, full of malice and excitement. "So, if I agree to do that, you'll free me, huh? Would you be so kind, human? Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Should I?" the farmer replied, holding the left side of his ribcage as he limped closer to the imprisoned Lord. "I see… You are planning to suck my soul, aren't ya?"

"Me?" Abadeer gasped in indignation. "Of course not! Who says the Lord of Evil can't be trusted? Tell me where is him and I'll rain some doom down upon his mud-covered descendants!" the undressed demon furrowed his eyebrows at Finn's skepticism. "C'mon! It's because I pulled you down a while ago, isn't it? Well, come closer and I'll prove how reliable I can be by healing your wounds…"

Finn sighed, wincing in pain afterwards. Perhaps he had broken more than one of his ribs. The young man lifted his shirt just enough to check on his left side, oh if only he hadn't done that. His skin had been stained by the internal bleeding of his torn veins, painting it with shades of yellow, green, blue, and purple… a vomiting sight indeed. The human hissed, rolling his eyes away from the injury. Now it hurt even more.

"I guess… I can't continue like this anyway…" he sighed. "Go ahead…"

Finn approached the cell, letting Hunson Abadeer stretch his chained arm and touch his splintered bones. His bluish hand felt as cold as the putrid breath of death itself against his throbbing ribs. It was nothing compared to Flanna's warmth and delicacy when she would massage his aching muscles after a long day of hard work at the farm, easing the pain instead of prompting it so that he could relax and drift into sleep with her.

No, there was something sickening on this man's touch. As if something thick and sticky was crawling all over and even within his skin, it was gross in the whole sense of the word. However, as disgusting as the process was, Finn could feel that his ribs were being mended and that his spilled blood was being carried back into his now repaired veins. The Lord of Evil was finished in a minute and he let go of Finn, unharmed.

"Wow… I can't believe it worked!" the farmer exclaimed, although the pain was still there. "Man, it hurts! Why does it hurt?"

"What? My powers have been weakened; I'm not at my maximum! Which is why I'm making trivial deals with a pathetic human like you." Hunson let out a deep sigh. "Alright, now… If you truly want to free me, you'll have to find my Amulet."

"Amulet?"

"Yes… Those good-for-nothing demons snatched it from me while I was taking a nap at my office. Can you believe it? They think I wasn't being fair enough with them, well that's too bad 'cause now I'm gonna…!"

"Hey…!" Finn interrupted. "I'm in a hurry, so just tell me where the ding-dong-dang thing is and I'll get it for ya."

"Humph, fine." The demon growled, rolling his eyes. "Those idiots tossed it into this abyss with me, instead of using its power for their own benefit. It should have fallen into one of those fiery cracks over there… See if you can reach it."

It was easier said than done. The fire would come out of those narrow pits in the ground without any warning. Finn thought of observing them and seeing if they had some kind of time pattern, but no, it was completely random. Mertens risked his life each time he peeked into one of them, wondering if Marceline's father could actually help him find the flower of Amaranth or not. No matter what he said, that guy couldn't be reliable. But he did heal his injuries, didn't he?

Only the same goddess of fortune that had led him to marry Flanna could aid him in his search for the Nightosphere Amulet, and she did. A purple glimmer drove Finn to the correct crack, now all he had to do was to wait until the fire came out, and fish his prize. Thanks to his mechanical arm, it was easy for the human to grab the mysterious necklace and run without getting himself burned.

"Here you go, man…" Finn said, handing the Amulet to its owner. "Now what?"

Hunson equipped himself with the glowing charm, causing a black goo to splash his body. The splatter quickly reshaped itself into a business suit, which gave this so-called Lord of Evil a more elegant appearance, even if his feet were hidden inside a pair of red leather boots, similar to Marceline's. The trinket also granted him supernatural strength, which the demon used to break the chains on his wrists and bash his cage open.

"Yes baby…! I feel like myself again! And now…" Abadeer opened his mouth, letting a large, monstrous head replace his in less than a second. The same horrific demon monster that Finn had seen as a statue was now standing before him, roaring with all its might. _**"Now, little human, I'm gonna devour your soul…!" **_

"Wait!" Mertens cried, hopping back in an attempt to escape from the demon's tentacles. "You promised you'd help me!"

"_**Please kid…! I'm the Lord of Evil, not the almighty Cosmic Owl, I gotta sustain myself somehow. Now get in here!" **_ His vertical mouth was opened at the same time he revealed dozens of sacks beneath his throat, full of crying souls.

Finn eyed him with disdain; there was no option but to fight. He pulled the golden sword out of his backpack and launched himself against the Lord of Evil. The blade cut through the many tentacles that the beast used to defend its body and attack at once. Those long twisted appendages were quick to bind the human, no matter how many times he tried to slash them off. They could easily grow back to tangle themselves onto his legs, arms, and neck.

In a matter of seconds, Finn was immobilized. He writhed in struggle, clenching his teeth tightly, just like any savage beast would when being seized by a hunter. Mertens wouldn't allow himself to admit that he had been defeated, that this was the end of his journey. No, not yet. He still had to return to Junktown with the cure that would save his wife's life. He still had to kiss her one more time, every time, always… And embrace their little daughter, teach her, defend her, watch her grow. He had to be there to receive one special surprise and cherish the love of his family… He just had to get out alive of the twisted nightmare-like situation he was in.

"No…! I won't die in the hands of this man…!" the hero grunted.

Man? Of course, Hunson Abadeer wasn't a man. Finn could now see the difference between him and Marceline. Even as an ugly half-demon creature, she was still just a lost child whose father had abandoned when she needed him the most. Only a monster could forsake his small daughter in a wrecked world, only a monster like the Lord of Evil. Still, Marceline had the hope to see her father again. Even if she wouldn't admit it, Finn had glimpsed the same sparkle of admiration that would shine in Milli's eyes when Marceline told him of the times when her family was a united one, and he could feel the sorrow in her voice when she mentioned that her father might not remember her… If the pain was there, so was the love.

"Fine! Go ahead, steal my soul!" Finn yelled. "I wonder what would Marceline think of you then!"

The ferocity on the demon's face vanished almost completely. "Did you say… Marceline?" asked Hunson, now with his normal voice.

"Yes, Marceline, your daughter. I know her." The farmer replied, feeling how the tentacles that used to strangle him only moments ago, began to lose their strength.

Abadeer dropped Finn and shrunk back to his humanoid form. A look of distress seized his green glowing eyes, and his face was an astonished one. He walked slowly to his victim's side, wondering. "Y-you know her? My baby is still alive?"

"Yeah, she brought me here actually." The young man grinned, sensing a strange sympathy towards his enemy. "But she was afraid to meet you. She said it would be too awkward for her."

"And I don't blame her…" Hunson sighed, taking a seat next to Finn. He pulled his knees onto his chest and hid his shameful face. "I didn't have the guts to visit her in these 996 years either… Man I suck, and not just souls. I mean, I'm not a bad father, am I?"

"Dude, Marceline said that you left her and her mother alone because you went on a business trip! Did you even know that the world was at war when you went away? Do you know how much time 996 years are?!"

"Just mere centuries…" the bluish man shrugged. "Hey! You don't have the right to reprimand me for that! It wasn't my fault; I never took in consideration the Temporal Expanse that exists between dimensions! I thought I had left for only two months, but when I returned, my five-year-old Marcy was already a rebel teenager that would rather stay in a frozen boring world than go back to the Nightosphere with me!"

A sting of worry stabbed Finn's heart, knowing that the same thing could happen to him. "S-say… is there a Temporal Expanse between the Nightosphere and my world?"

"Sure, foolish kid! What, weren't you paying attention? Your world and mine are two different dimensions that exist simultaneously in alternate time waves. Psst… How long do you think you've been here?"

"T-three weeks… maybe?" Finn gulped.

"I see, you mortals got it all wrong as always…" Hunson sighed, rubbing his temple. "Time runs slower in the Nightosphere in comparison to your world. Also, there's no such thing as night or day in here, so how do you know that three flung weeks have passed? Don't tell me! Your mind made you believe so, right? Yeah… Nothing like the maddening environment of the Nightosphere to drive a human insane with the laws of time and space…!" he laughed.

The Demon Lord turned to glance at the young man next to him, hoping to keep making more fun of him. However, Finn was now the one hiding his face on his knees. The farmer raised his eyes, full of homesickness and sighed.

"I think I made the same mistake… I thought I had left my family only three weeks ago and now, when I return, everything will be messed up…"

"What do you mean messed up? In the name of the Black Veil of Horus, dude! I missed the best years of my daughter's life! How does that compare to your flung mistake?"

"Well I'm a father too, and guess what, I also left my family behind!" Finn took a moment to clear his mind and chose to explain Abadeer his situation. "My wife is sick, deadly sick. Marceline grew fond of my lil' daughter and because of that, she risked her own pride to bring me before you. Marceline still believes in you…" The Lord of Evil flinched at this, secretly touched by the human's story. "She believes that you have the power to aid us on our quest… I think she even misses you…"

"Marceline… My exquisitely evil child, My Treasure of Darkness, the hideous Black Rose in the Desiccated Garden of the Nightosphere… She misses me?" Hunson scratched the back of his head in amazement. "How is that even possible? I thought she hated me!"

A weak smile graced Finn's features. "No, man… I don't think any daughter would actually hate her dad. It's just, when I see my kid, I can feel it, you know? The way she looks at you, it's like she knows how much you love her and she gives back that love in everything she does… Whether she's running around, makin' a tantrum, or just sleeping… You just know that you love her and that she love's you even more, every time you look at her…" Mertens laughted softly. "When Milli was born, she was so small I was afraid to hold her. I thought that I wasn't fit to be a father, that I didn't have what it takes... But when Flanna handed her to me, when I felt her tiny hands on my face and saw her eyes staring at mine with so much curiosity... It was magical, you know, from that moment on, I became a father. It's the best thing ever..."

A loud blowing noise came from the demon man on his side, and Mertens glanced at him to realize that the Lord of Evil was covering his running nose with a handkerchief, probably trying to hide the fact that he was crying. Finn chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"So what about you, Hunson…" he asked. "Do you still love your daughter?"

"How wouldn't I?" Abadeer replied, somewhat offended. "You just said it, a father just has to look at his girl to know that he loves her!"

"And if Marceline was different now, not the same five-year-old or the teenager that you left behind, would you still love her?"

"By all means, yes! Yes I would!" the Lord of Evil left his seat on the ground and stood before Finn in all his majesty. "Who do you think I am? Only a monster would forget his daughter!"

So even the master of hell had a heart. Yes, a dark one, but a heart nonetheless. Finn apologized mentally with Abadeer for judging him wrong. In a way, they were somewhat alike, at least when it came to put their children on top of the world.

"So why don't you come with me? I can take you to her, you don't have to miss your daughter anymore…" Mertens offered humbly. Sadly for him, Milli was now too far away from his reach. His wait had just started and there was no way for him to know when would he see her again, when would he stop missing her…

"Two months." Hunson said, patting the farmer's shoulder. To what Finn replied with an inquisitive stare. "That's the exact time that has passed in your world. Your daughter should still be the same toddler you left at home, and your wife should be fine. At least for now, you don't have to worry about the Temporal Expanse." The demon grinned.

Finn opened his mouth but no words came out of it. The Lord of Evil had just comforted him, how crazy is that? The farmed shook his head and smiled back. "Wow… I-I don't know what to say, thanks for tellin' me that my family is okay. It means so much to me…"

His smile depicted all the happiness within him. To know that Milli and Flanna were still the same was blissful for our young father. He couldn't see the hour of going back to them, to tell them about his unbelievable adventures—or maybe just hug them like he did before leaving: in silence, letting his heart speak for him. The wait was killing him on the inside, when would he find the Amaranth? When would this journey end?

"No! Don't even mention it!" Abadeer smirked. "It's a fatherly thing. It's my way of thanking you for reuniting me with my daughter…!" his features turned dark and gloomy all of a sudden. "I mean it, human. Don't you ever dare to mention that! My reputation would be at risk!"

"My lips are sealed." Mertens said, shaking hands with Hunson Abadeer, another caring father, just like him.

* * *

**So I guess Finn and Flanna will meet sooner, according to what I read in your reviews and PMs. Excellent! Thanks for helping me with that! And of course, thank you for supporting and contributing to this story. Remember that you can criticize my work, suggest things or leave an opinion whenever you like. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll see you soon with more!**


	12. Little Glimmer

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 12: Little Glimmer**

Outside the snow kept falling gently onto the once green grass. No crops could be grown on this time of the year, and the few farmers that remained in the area had switched their efforts to the maintenance of their livestock. Mr. Mertens and his younger son would spend hours taking care of their chickens, goats, cows and mules. They had to make sure that none of the animals had gotten any kind of disease that could be spread onto the rest of the flock, as they would all live cramped together inside the barn for several months. Flanna had to take care of similar tasks on her own as well, although she and Finn weren't dedicated to livestock as much as her father-in-law, she still had to watch over a small chicken coop, an old cow, and the always-loyal Bartram.

Once finished with that, the red-haired girl offered herself to help Miss Bonnibel with her horses as a sign of gratitude for cooking for her and Milli. Bonnibel accepted reluctantly, not wanting to abuse of Flanna, whose health concerned her gravely. So, with a hesitating, yet grateful nod, the three women headed toward Miss Bonnibel's ranch. Milli traveled on her mother's arms, watching the footsteps that she left in the snow in curiosity. They were boot prints, and whenever the little girl thought about shoes, she noticed how weird and uncomfortable they felt on her tiny feet.

Winter was a season of many changes. Not only couldn't they walk barefooted; they also had to wear itching scarves and thick heavy coats. She couldn't go out to play very often, and most of the time, everyone around her would complain about the freezing cold and the windy weather. On the positive side though, her parents didn't have so much work to do, and they could stay with her the whole day at home. Sometimes playing, reading stories by the fire, or just sleeping all snuggled up together while the storms blew outside. Thinking about this caused Milli to feel like asking her mother if she knew if Finn would come soon, but she chose to remain silent. A week had passed since the arrival of winter, and in a few days they would have to leave Junktown and move to the city.

The young girl perceived that reminding her mother that Finn might not arrive in time would make her unhappy. Late at night, Milli would often wake up to the sound of Flanna's quiet crying next to her. It was better to wait patiently, and hope that her father would make it in time. Leaving without him would be very painful for her mother, and right now, as she watched Flanna smile and enjoy the white landscape around her, Milli preferred to let her mother unaltered.

When they arrived to Miss Bonnibel's place, Flanna placed Milli on the floor and asked her to remain seated while she worked with the horses. Jake arrived afterwards and sat beside the little girl, to entertain her with his tickling snout.

"I see you've been brushing them with frequency, their manes are shiny and untangled." Flanna said, as she greeted the white steed known as Stormo. "This guy here would win any beauty contest, if Junktown were back in its old days."

"I know, right!" Miss Bonnibel replied. "You should meet his sister, Goliad. She's not as fast as Stormo, but she's one of the smartest mares I've ever seen."

As they swept the stinky horse wastes out of the barn, and replaced the old fodder with fresh new food for them, Flanna got the chance to lay her eyes on the strange-colored mare. Her fur was a mixture of red and bluish tones, making her look uncommonly fuchsia. The young woman even dared to ask if that was a natural color, to what Bonnibel replied proudly with a "No."

"She's the first one of my genetically altered breed. You can see it in Stormo's golden mane, although the white of his fur isn't that astonishing. I want to produce a unique class of racing horses like no other and the coloring of their fur is just the first phase of my plan. I'm developing new studies that will give them more aerodynamic bodies, making them the fastest breed in the world!"

"That's a little ambitious, isn't it?" Flanna commented. "I don't think you should be messing with nature like that. Later on, it could bring you trouble."

"Yeah, yeah… I'll keep it mind…" the teacher digressed, rolling her eyes. "Now let's just focus on finishing the dirty job, okay?" she pinched her nose in disgust. "I still don't know how can you take this…!"

"Oh well, after ten years of smelling crap, your nose becomes somewhat numb and it stops being a nuisance." Flanna replied in amusement.

Being friends with Finn had turned her into a farmer of the best category, even if she wasn't raised to be one. The hard work that came with it brought more benefits than strive, even cleaning the smelly poop of the livestock had its advantages, no stench could make her frown now. Strangely, Flanna suddenly began to feel an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach for no reason whatsoever, like if all that dirt had made her sick. But it couldn't be that, it had to be something else.

Miss Bonnibel noticed the grossed expression on Flanna's face and laughed. "Well, well… Seems like I'm not the only one who's about to puke!"

"No, it ain't that…" the young woman said, placing her hand on her mouth just in case. "It's more like nausea… I-I think I should take a rest…"

"Oh…!" the teacher grew concerned at Flanna's statement. "Then by all means take one! It's more, go home and lay down in bed. I'll lend you one of my horses so that you can move faster in the snow, okay?"

Both Milli and Flanna mounted Goliad's back shortly after that, and the young mother galloped back to her farm, still feeling somewhat dizzy and ill. It wasn't a good day to grow even sicker, she thought. Not when the Huntress was about to make another appearance tonight. With her daughter in her arms, the young woman locked the peculiar mare in the barn with Bartram, and then headed inside her home. She left Milli on the couch and went for a glass of water in the kitchen.

The little girl jumped down and followed her inside. She was startled when she saw her mother vomiting on the sink. Scared, Lil' Flare stepped forward and pulled Flanna's dress softly.

"Mommy… Does your tummy hurt? You want me to bring grandma Mertens?"

Flanna took her time to breathe and wash her face before answering. She turned to her daughter and knelt to pat her head. "No, I'll be fine… I shouldn't have eaten the burnt bacon this morning, it made my stomach upset, don't ya worry."

"You okay now?" Milli asked, staring at her with big worried eyes.

The young mother lifted her child up, embracing her. "Yes, of course I am. I'm not gonna leave you alone, Milli. When your dad returns, we'll be a complete family again, and I'll be much better. You'll see…"

They went back to the living room, where Flanna opened the door for Jake. Afterwards, she tossed some lumber (that Finn had previously axed for them), into the fireplace. Then, with Milli still in her arms, Flanna took a seat in front of it and covered their bodies with an old blanket. The sound of the flickering fire lulled them to sleep.

When the young mother opened her green eyes, the sun had already sunken in the horizon. She quickly pressed her hands against her stomach and felt it a bit swollen. Though, because the pain and the nausea had already been gone, she decided to ignore that fact. Flanna got up gently and took her sleeping daughter into her bedroom. Again, she asked Jake to watch over her and then vanished through the unlit corridor.

**x~x~x~x~x**

Goliad neighed softly at the sound of footsteps approaching her; she quickly forgot about the fodder she was chewing to meet the masked face of the Huntress. Her hooves drove her slowly to the hooded stranger and she began to sniff the air cautiously. Her bulged muscles relaxed once she had recognized the familiar scent of Flanna's skin.

"There, there… It's just me." The young woman whispered, patting the mare's forehead. "I gotta go on a rescue mission tonight, and you are going to help me…"

The equine stared at her and moved its head up and down as if she had understood her words. Flanna smiled and walked over to the small lantern that hung on the ceiling. Her gloved hand pulled out a map from beneath her robe; it contained all the info that she had stolen from her first victim, some nights ago.

"Now let's see…" she sighed, studying the map carefully. "I don't think Mackie would just hide on a dirty cave… No… He's grown too fancy for that since my uncle picked him up from the streets, when he was nothing but a gypsy hobo… There's gotta be some kind of facility somewhere…"

She traced a road with her index finger all over the map until her green irises spotted what she had been looking for. Flanna let out a silent gasp, identifying with contempt the location of her father's coal processing manufactory, where his workers used to remove the impurities of the black mineral they dug up. It was also the place where her father's office used to be, before the Destiny Gang attacked and blew up the mine. The word _Wazoo! _had been written over the name of her father's abandoned colliery. Sure, that most be the place where Mackie Mann and his men processed the "gold" that they were digging from the wounded earth.

Flanna closed the map and slipped it inside her outfit with anger. It bothered her to know that she would have to visit one of the places that had marked her past, a place full of memories that she'd hate to revive. Placing a saddle on Goliad's back, the Huntress climbed onto the mare and dashed into the snow. The two females galloped through the darkness, guided only by Flanna's sense of direction. It took them about an hour to reach what was now the _Wazoo! Processing Facility_, a distant trip that used to take young Flanna Hacksworth two hours to reach by feet.

"Stay here Goliad." The Huntress commanded, leaving her mount within the nearby woodland.

She then scurried to the old building, bow and arrow in hand, avoiding any source of light that would come out of it. There were two men patrolling the main entrance, nothing that Flanna hadn't expected. She knew from the start that she'd have to find an alternative access. At least her childhood memories would come in handy now. The ventilation ducts on the right side of the building would have to serve her as an entrance.

Flanna chuckled as she crouched down, amazed by the fact that her body could still fit in there. The only problem now was her claustrophobia, which was the main reason of why she had only used the ducts once in her life, just to rescue the scented candles that her father had confiscated from her after playing a harmless prank on the Mertens boy. That happened about twenty years ago, and the memory of herself, being rescued by a firefighter after she had fainted in the ducts was as vivid as the fear that Flanna was feeling now.

"Gosh…" the hooded girl hissed, taking a deep breath afterwards. "C'mon, Flanna! You're not a kid anymore! You can crawl a few minutes through a narrow duct without freaking out this time! Nothing bad's gonna happen!" she slid inside and then quickly reeled back, gasping for air one last time before facing her greatest phobia once again.

_Be brave for Milli_, she repeated in her mind. _Be brave for Finn, you must keep it together for them._ They would do the same for you. And Flanna dragged her body in, focusing on her mission of rescuing the Destiny Gang, and maybe even finding out what had happened with Choose Bruce. On her way, the young woman closed her eyes and struggled to breathe consciously. She avoided the thought of being enclosed and imagined something good to distract herself.

She dreamed of Finn's return. Yes, that was it, something that would make her incredibly happy. Her mind took the troubled heroine to a peaceful Junktown, where she and Finn could simply share their lives without worries, without battling freaks, and surviving illnesses. Surprisingly, her method worked well, although she was sweating cold and her hands were trembling, her muscles contracting with spasms. At least she hadn't lost her sanity or fainted yet.

_The north wind doth blow,_

_And we shall have snow_

_And what shall the poor Bruce do then?_

_Poor thing!_

_He'll sit in the barn,_

_And keep himself warm_

_And hide his head under his wing_

_Poor thing!_

That was the rhyme that pulled Flanna out of her happy place and made her realize where she was. There was only a man in the whole land that would recite like that, even while being held prisoner, 'twas none other than the famous merchant Choose Bruce. Feeling that her heartbeats were starting to go crazy, the heroine kicked the hinges of the vent beneath her feet and jumped out of that maddening duct. She leaned against the first wall she saw, ignoring her fear of being captured to catch her breath. Shivers were still running down her spine and the shuddering of her hands had just worsened after that trip in the darkness. It worried her that this might affect her shooting skills with the bow, but there was nothing that could be done now.

"Oh no, oh tragedy! Who's _there?_" cried the merchant. "Please don't! Not more! I can't deal with this _despair_…!"

"Shhh...!" the Huntress silenced, approaching the locked door before her. Choose Bruce's voice came from behind it, but no other voices could be heard. The Destiny Gang wasn't with him. "I'm not one of them…" she whispered. "I came to rescue you. Now, move away from the door."

"Oh my! You have the _key_?" Bruce exclaimed joyfully. "Well, then get me outta here and then, we'll have some _tea_!"

Flanna bit her lower lip in frustration. How would she have gotten the key if she had just jumped out of the air vent, and therefore, she had never encountered a grunt that could have the keys with him. It wasn't like if she were going to do that either, the plan was to rescue Mackie's innocent victims, run away of that place, and then set them free. With that in mind, the young heroine brought the door down with a powerful kick and pulled Choose Bruce out of the room.

"Run faster if you wanna get the heck out of here!" Flanna yelled, dragging the confused merchant with her.

The sound of a siren's blare stressed her out. The enemy knew about her intrusion. Charging footsteps were heard behind her, which only made Flanna sped herself up. Choose Bruce had trouble to keep up with her pace though, and this was only slowing them. She thought for a moment, searching for a solution. It was when her eyes decried a window beside her, that the Huntress reacted and while crying out Goliad's name, she slammed Bruce against the glass and tossed him out.

"I'll find another way, just run away!" the masked heroine commanded.

The merchant soon found himself riding the fuchsia mare, distressed by the fact that he had never ridden a horse before. "W-wha…what?!"

Flanna continued running, struggling to lose her chasers within the multiple contraptions that surrounded her within the facility. If only she wasn't in a hurry, she would've taken her time to analyze the minerals that were being processed in there. Maybe she would've found out what the heck was Mackie Mann doing, what were his plans? With a quick motion of her legs, the Huntress slid beneath one of the conveyor belts, making her enemies crash against it while she gained advantage and escaped.

It was when she ran around a corner that her green eyes were temporally locked with Trami's black ones and this one sprung up of the floor, only to be stopped by the chains that held him onto the wall. His teammates became aware of the heroine's presence as well. Flanna had found them, but her chasers were approaching her and she had to go back to Bruce's side as soon as possible.

As the Huntress passed them by, she whispered. "Don't worry. I'll return to save you…!" and with that, she broke out through another unlucky window and vanished from sight.

"Who the heck wuz that?!" Tromo grunted, slightly angered because of the sudden commotion. "Why did that guy have to ruin my sleep if he wasn't going to get our butts out of this stinky place?!"

"Guy…?" Trami whispered, still glancing at the broken window in awe. "That was no guy, guys… I can recognize those pretty eyes, and that sweet voice anywhere…" he smiled, lost in the clouds. "That's the Firefly! She'll get us outta here, I know it!"

"Trami…" Trumo sighed.

"Yeah?"

"You oughtta get over that school girl crush, like, right now. It'll never work."

"Uh… okay."

**x~x~x~x~x**

Once outside of the building, Flanna run to met Goliad and her scared rider. Her hands got a hold of the mare's reins, helping the young woman to climb onto the animal with a quick stunt. The new rider managed to regain control of the horse and then attempted to dash away. The guards patrolling the entrance noticed the disturbance almost immediately, charging towards the masked heroine and impeded her from escaping, using their bodies to block her way.

Both men aimed at Goliad's legs with their guns. Flanna knew that they were going to shoot and make them fall if she didn't do something quick. With desperation, the young woman struggled to force Goliad to reel back and run away from the area as fast as possible, but the stubborn mare had a plan of her own. Kicking the air swiftly with her front legs, the altered horse pushed her enemies back, causing them to toss their shotguns into the air. Goliad leaped away as soon as she saw the chance to move forward, and as the guns hit the ground, one of them was fired.

Flanna turned back anxiously. One of the two guards had been wounded. She clenched her teeth in anguish knowing that it could only bring her trouble. The Huntress wasn't supposed to hurt or kill her enemies; her only purpose was to reveal the true intentions of the _Wazoo! Company_, stealing compromising information and rescuing potential witnesses. Mackie Mann would take advantage from this, he would label the Huntress as an assassin and if she were to be captured…it would be her end.

Nothing could be done now. Flanna forced Goliad to run faster, scowling her for disobeying her commands. The road ahead increased her anxiety and she felt like fainting in any moment. The pressure was too much. She decided to take the merchant to a nearby meadow and leave him there, hoping to return home as soon as possible.

"This is as far as I can take you with me…" the Huntress said, asking Choose Bruce to get down of her horse. "Can you make it from here?"

"Y-yeah… Do not _fear_," the merchant replied gratefully. "I can make it from _here_!"

"Good." The masked heroine smiled. "You must leave Junktown as soon as possible if you don't want to be captured again. Please stay safe."

With those words, the mysterious woman kicked her mare's sides and galloped away, leaving a grateful man behind her. Bruce waved at her in the distance, swearing that he'd do everything in his reach to clean the Huntress' name, at least before the eyes of the common townsfolk.

Meanwhile, Flanna made her way back home, watching over her shoulder every now and then to make sure that no one was following her. After locking Goliad in the barn, she found herself entering her bedroom in silence, leaving a trail of clothes behind her. The rush of adrenaline was still running through her veins, which had probably kept her from feeling the symptoms of her accursed illness during her previous acts of recklessness. Trying to not give more importance to that matter, Flanna sunk on her bed, sighing in exhaustion. She felt Milli, lying next to her and curled herself up beside her. Flanna drifted into her sleep wondering how many risks was she planning to take as she awaited for her husband. Was she doing this to save her town or just to feel better with herself, acknowledging that she didn't want to appear weak because of her disease?

**x~x~x~x~x**

The young mother woke up at the crack of dawn, feeling sick again. She quickly uncovered her body, pushing the blankets away. A thought flashed through her mind. _How clean the sheets are, pure white and unstained. It has been like this for more than a month now… since Finn left._ Flanna rushed to the toilet and threw up again, falling onto her knees afterwards. The air was cold and so was the almost frozen floor.

She found the strength to pull herself up and glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was pale and there were bags beneath her eyes. The nausea was still there, and so was her intrigue about the strange behavior of her body. Why were her bed sheets clean after two months of her cycle had passed? Why hadn't she seen the blood that always caused her trouble when trying to remove it during the laundry? What was the cause of her lack of period?

Perhaps, it was just another symptom, another phenomenon brought by her disease. Flanna contemplated her reflection, sliding her hands slowly onto her still swollen abdomen. Who was she trying to fool? Flanna knew that feeling quite well. She knew why she had been missing Finn more than ever lately; she knew why she found herself crying every night, why she felt vulnerable and emotionally unstable.

Although they would normally avoid it, because of her later miscarriages, Flanna and Finn had consummated their lovemaking twice before he went away. All because she wanted her husband to try again with her one last time. Because she didn't want him to leave in that journey without return, knowing that their separation would be difficult for both... Just because she wanted to be his princess for one more night. It was obvious now that her wish had come true, that even though Finn wasn't there, he had left a part of him within her. The young mother smiled at her reflection, she had longed for another chance and now she could feel it, growing inside her. She was pregnant.

Flanna stumbled back to her Lil' Flare's side. Milli had heard her mother's struggle in the bathroom and was waiting for her worriedly, hugging Hambo tightly onto her chest. She immediately crawled onto her mother's lap after the former had taken a seat on the bed.

"Mommy, what's wrong? You're sick again?" she asked on the verge of tears.

"No. It ain't that, Milli…" Flanna answered softly, pulling her daughter against her. "There's a little glimmer of hope within me, a baby…"

Just how would this knowledge affect her role as the Huntress? Flanna ignored it, but now her life was twice as precious and she couldn't defy her luck as rashly as she used to… especially not after Mackie Mann had decided to inform his superior about the menace that the Huntress was for their plans. It was up to the masked heroine to decide the outcome of her destiny now.

Let's hope she chooses wisely.

* * *

**Guest– **_Yeah, Hunson is a cool guy, you know. I thought he would get along just fine with Finn. Now, to get that flower! You said it! _

**Kurbykakes****– **_Oh...! You'll see it soon, in the next chapter! :)_

**thephoenixblade–**_Thanks a lot, glad you're still enjoying this story. It's weird how people will usually dismiss sequels. It's kinda hard to make something as good as the original story and have people liking it. Yeah, I guess that's just the way Hunson is. I actually used the 'Adventure Time Encyclopedia' to write him and there's a lot of references to that book. I was hoping I could write him right, he's a weird guy. _

**Odradem–**_I guess alternate universe or not, Finn's just as naive (or dumb) to trust in anyone, hehe. About the fic, yeah, I had something different in mind, but the changes I made weren't so significant. Still, they made the storyline simpler, which I hope will be enjoyable. Thanks a lot! _

**Riset36–** _Glad it made you feel like that, lol. This fic is centered around family-touchy moments, so there will be more of those coming, like the Abadeer family reunion, which you'll see in the next chapter!_

**StrikerXE–** _Well, the time dilatation was meant to confuse the heck out of everyone (I even got to struggle with that a bit). It'd let you guess how messed up was Finn feeling. Don't worry about cheesy, the TAU series is like a big load of cheesy moments in itself anyway XP! Thank you, that means a lot! Hope you like what's coming next! :) _

**PhantomHermit– **_Exactly, that's what I was meaning to explore with this chapter. As I've said before, this fic is more centered on family themes, so I'm glad you guys are able to see it. Thank you, and don't worry, you'll do great! You just have to keep writing and you'll get better at it with time! :) __**  
**_

**Well dear readers, that's all for now. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing or just passing by! I'll see you soon with more!**


	13. The Multiverse

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 13: The Multiverse**

He had expected her to react like that, after all Marceline didn't seem to be a bundle of sentimentalism at first, but now it was obvious that she just tended to repress her feelings for the sake of her own pride. After leading His Lowness out of the abyss where he had been imprisoned, Finn simply backtracked to the cells where the old hag had chosen to stay. It surprised him to see how in a matter of seconds, just after dragging Marceline out of the security of the Nightosphere Jail, Hunson Abadeer had managed to regain total control over his chaotic realm (as controlled as a place like this one could be). Rows of saddened demons walked back to their cells, waiting lines, and homes. Desperate cries of terror were now heard amidst the deafening silence of the blood-shot skies, fire blasts and energy beams exploding everywhere… a wonderful sight indeed.

Fortunately, neither Finn nor Marceline were threatened by any of the horrors dwelling in there, courtesy of Hunson of course. The Farmer was actually taking the whole deal of being in hell pretty smoothly now. The only thing giving him trouble was the old woman that he was trying to get inside of a transporting monster with him. Marceline was disgusted by the thought of having to travel in the internal organs of some flying-telepathic demon monster all the way to her father's lair. Although this could be just another excuse to avoid meeting the Lord of Evil, out of sheer stubbornness and embarrassment. The young man couldn't understand her; she was acting like a willful teenager despite of her age, making tantrums even. It reminded him of how Flanna used to act around Mr. Hacksworth when she was younger. My, now he was worried, thinking if Milli would eventually grow resentful with him when she hits her early teens.

"Dang it, Finn!" Marceline growled as the human forced her to descend from the demonic monster's belly. "You said you'd respect my decision of not wanting to see my father!"

"Yeah! And now I'm respecting your secret desire of meeting him again!" Finn said. "C'mon, Hunson's a cool guy! He totally misses you! You know what I would give to be allowed to see Milli again? It's a fatherly thing! Do it for the old man, Marce!"

The elderly half-demon locked her black eyes on the ground. Admitting that she did want to see her father again was a nuisance, but knowing that Finn was experiencing the pain that her dad had suffered throughout those long centuries wasn't fair. That human was manipulating her, and it was working because now she was overwhelmed with remorse. Marceline raised her head again and clenched Finn's shirt, forcing him to move forward without uttering a single word.

They climbed the spiral staircase leading to the Lord of Evil's lair. Abadeer inhabited a rocky mountain, sited at the middle of the fiery wasteland. Their steps echoed, resonating in the silence as they reached the top. A large portrait of Hunson holding a cat in his arms welcomed them inside; the human couldn't help to chuckle as he noticed how his companion rolled her eyes with a deep sigh. They both continued advancing and entered through the passage beneath the painting of the demonic leader. More portraits decorated the sinister hallways, all of them picturing the Lord of Evil, some of him playing a match of golf with a mint man, one of him standing next to a human, which caught Finn's attention. And there was one of Hunson riding a bike through a Victorian landscape, the bluish man seemed so happy and kind in that one that it was hard to believe that he was the emperor of all evil.

Marceline led Finn towards a wooden door, amazed by how her memory was still able to remember the location of her father's office. Now they were standing in a circular room lit by torches on the walls. The young man made some steps forward, laying his eyes on the sweet pictures that hung around him. Hunson Abadeer appeared cradling a pale baby girl in his arms. A black curl had slipped out of the mantle that covered her tiny forehead as she smiled toothlessly at her proud father. Next to it was a larger picture of a young girl grinning playfully, short ebony hair, pale skin and pointy ears… it couldn't be any other than Marceline as a kid.

The farmer turned to her inquisitively. Marceline was also staring at the pictures, her eyes lost in the many long gone memories that these provided. She then noticed the young man's stare and approached him while muttering.

"What?"

"You see how your dad still loves you? I told ya!" Finn smirked.

"What is it to you if my father loves me or not? Jeez!" the old woman growled.

She scratched her head and faced another picture on the wall. This one had a horizontal frame, it displayed an image of Hunson and little Marcy, but between them was a person that Finn could only identify as her mother. This was a supposition of course, the young woman in the picture had no resemblance whatsoever with the Lord of Evil.

She was completely human and he couldn't deny that she had an enchanting beauty. Perhaps when Marceline was younger, her body had also displayed such traits, as her now messy curls of blackened hair could easily match her mother's. It's curious how time changes people both on the inside and the outside. As a child, Marceline seemed more cheerful and eager to explore the wonders of the world, like someone who looked toward the future with hope instead of bitterness…

"I know what you're thinking Mertens, but it ain't gonna—!" the old woman tried to complain, feeling the weight of Finn's eyes on her.

The next thing that Marceline discovered, or felt even, was that someone had embraced her from behind and was now swinging her from one side to the other as she waved her feet in the air, struggling to free herself.

"Oh my child! My child is back!" came Hunson Abadeer's joyful exclamation.

"No! It is not!" his daughter replied. "Put me down!"

The demon lord obeyed without complaining, placing the short old woman back on the ground. Marceline took a deep breath and tightened her fists nervously as she turned to face her father. He hadn't certainly changed, not even a bit. Unlike him, the half-demon carried the weight of a thousand years of living on her shoulders; time had struck her with all its might. She didn't want to be seen like an old grumpy hag, but now it was too late to go back and hide within her underground tunnel.

Hunson Abadeer kept himself from saying anything that wasn't a simple: "How have you been?"

Marceline grew astonished. Expecting a taunt or maybe a slight chuckle from the man before her, and receiving a respectful greeting instead was, well, not what she had in mind. "Why are you doing this?" she asked rather angrily.

"Doing what?" Hunson shrugged. "I just want to know how has life treated my darling…"

"Well it has been hell for me, so stop trying to fool me and talk straight, dad!"

"Marceline…" her father gasped hurtfully. "I'm not trying to fool you! I had been waiting for you all this time! I never went back to see you because I thought that you hated me!" the stiff man crouched down and sighed. "You don't have to be ashamed of yourself, sweetie… At least not with your old man, I don't really care how you look like as long as I know that my Little Marcy is still smiling somewhere within you…!"

His daughter remained silent, pondering. It was in the last second that she decided to leave her resentful and confused thoughts behind to embrace her father. Hunson welcomed her in his arms, smiling proudly just like when he first held her as a baby.

"You know I love you and I always will, my girl… No matter how old you grow. Time is cruel and even if I have managed to escape from its unforgiving touch, I knew that you and your mother would be unable to do so. Since the beginning… I knew that one day the two of you would be gone, that's why I'm glad to see that you're still around after so long."

"Dad…" Marceline whispered. "Let's just keep this short and simple, please." She slowly moved away from the hug and smiled. "I've missed you too…"

"Fine. You don't like it when things get emotional, huh?" the Lord of Evil laughed, watching her blush. "Alright, I'll respect that!" he patted her head, squashing her hat and hair in the process. "Anything for daddy's little monster!"

"And you just had to blow the moment up, right?" the half-demon sighed. She looked back at Finn, who had been watching the scene in complete silence and asked him to come closer. "So… you two know each other, right?" Marceline said. "Therefore you must know that Finny and me are in a hurry, a death or life biz actually…"

"Oh yes, of course!" Hunson exclaimed, standing back on his feet. "You want to find the dimension where the Amaranth grows, yes… I believe I can help you with that if you have a certain tool with ya."

"You mean like," Finn swung his backpack off his shoulders, rummaging through its contents. "The Enchiridion?"

The Lord of Evil nodded, and gestured the human and Marceline to follow him into his office, where the demonic man took a seat behind his desk. Finn and the half-demon stepped in the fancy room, glancing at the skulls and torches adorning the surroundings. The farmer then placed the heavy book on Hunson's desk and waited for a reply.

"Yes, it is the Enchiridion indeed! I can only wonder how did this ancient relic ended up in your pitiful human world, oh well…"

"Dad, I have already read every single boring page of it and I never found a map or a clue that may lead us to the Amaranth! How is the Enchiridion supposed to help us?" Marceline inquired, folding her arms.

"Oh that's a little tricky! You see, there's more in this book than meets the eye…" Hunson smirked. He pulled out a pen from the small pocket on his business suit and pressed a tiny button on the tip, which lighted a thin laser ray that he used to play around naughtily. "Careful! Don't let me use this pointer on your eyes, or it'll make you blind!"

"Father!" Marceline growled impatiently while Finn covered his eyes with his mechanical arm.

"Hahaha! Alright, alright!"

Abadeer aimed the laser at one of the small shields that decorated the Enchiridion's lower side of the cover, revealing a small slot. A reddish hologram popped out instantly, depicting a smiling old man with a book-shaped hat.

"Hello, my name is Booko and—Eeek!" the tiny projection found itself staring at the fanged smirk of Hunson Abadeer. "T-the Lord of Evil! W-who let the Enchiridion fall in his clutches?! What's wrong with you people?!"

"Dude, I don't know!" Finn replied. "I'm just looking for a way to find the Amaranth, it's very important! I'm trying to save the life of a special someone!"

"That's a noble ambition, young man! But I'm afraid that I shall not reveal anything to you as long as that creep is still present in the room!" Booko explained. "Do you want me to endanger the whole Multiverse or what?"

Hunson Abadeer stretched his feet and let them rest on top of his desk lazily. "Relax buddy, we don't want you to spill anything. My knowledge of the Multiverse clearly surpasses yours…" he chuckled. "All we want from you is a map. Will you project it for us, lil' squirt?"

"Not unless you soften your words!" Booko threatened, pointing the Lord of Evil. "Be kind! All of you say: Please!"

"Please Booko, I beg you!" Finn exclaimed, offering the hologram a pleading smile.

Booko nodded, pleased by the human's action and then sent a glare to the old woman. The farmer was quick to notice this and elbowed her in reply. "Fine…! Please open the map… Booko…" she muttered.

"Nice, nice!" the hologram grinned as he turned to the Lord of Evil. "Hunson, I'm waiting…"

"Pshh! Why does it always have to be your way?" Abadeer whispered in apathy, "Okay, please. I need the map. Or whatever…"

"I guess that will have to do for now…" Booko sighed. "Here!"

The small man threw his short arms open, beaming several tridimensional floating figures above him. Neither Hunson or Marceline seemed surprised by this, but the humble human couldn't help to admire the glowing set of alternate universes spinning around his astonished face.

"Now the rest is up to you, Hunson! If you think you're so smart! Humph!"

With that Booko vanished from existence, causing the Lord of Evil to snicker brazenly. "Nobody likes old Hunson Abadeer, I wonder why is that?"

"Seriously… dad?!" Marceline snapped, causing him to laugh. "You will never change, will ya?"

"Nope. Anyway, now that we have the Multiverse in display, I shall explain you a few things… very simple ones." His index finger rested upon one of the many tridimensional shapes with no particular reason. "Each of these is an alternate universe, or dimension. All of them have their own histories, physical laws, inhabitants and purposes… Most of them have never been explored and the few ones that we've gotten to know have proven to be hideous torture chambers to punish vile criminals (like yours truly) or just extremely demanding trials to test the worth of those who seek the treasures that lie within them."

"Treasures? What kind of treasures?" asked Finn, his eyes shimmering with adventure lust once again.

"Well, for instance there's the Citadel of Truth…" Hunson smirked. "But you don't wanna go in there, even if it has the special ability to grant you your greatest desire… I doubt you'd last a minute in there… No, you must focus on your mission, young man. Remember, the Amaranth is not only what you want, but also what you need."

"Yeah, I get it." the farmer replied. "But in which of those weird dimensions can I find it?"

"The thing is not where to find it. The Enchiridion has already answered that for you, hasn't it? The Amaranth grows in the Land of the Daybreak, the dimension of the everlasting sunrise. The problem is how to reach it, since it is one of the few dimensions that lies far beyond the Time Room and therefore, has never experienced the passage of time. It doesn't have a permanent link like the aforementioned Citadel, and you can't open an artificial portal with magic like the one you used to enter the Nightosphere."

"Then that means that it is an unreachable dimension!" Marceline shrieked in worry. "Unless…" She immediately thought of Prismo and the Royal jewels. "The Enchiridion! We can use it to open a portal to any dimension in the Multiverse!"

"That would be the easy way around it," Hunson said, stroking his chin deep in thought. "But in order to do that you must find all the gems… Do you have any idea of where they might be?"

"No." the half-demon answered dully. The last time she tried to use that alternative, it took her more than a thousand years to collect them all, it wasn't a pleasant memory at all. Prismo wasn't an option either because of the same reason. His dimension couldn't be entered without the help of the Enchiridion because there weren't any natural or magical links that could take them there besides it.

"Then… Isn't there a way?" Finn stammered in desperation.

"Unless you are a deity…" Marceline sighed, patting his shoulder. "I'm afraid there isn't."

"Hunson…" the human pleaded, turning his misty blue eyes towards him. "Can't you help us?"

Abadeer rubbed the back of his neck in an exhausted manner, returning to a seating position before facing Finn with a serious stare. "Listen buddy, I like you. And I'd love to help you and your family, believe me! But the only possibility that I can offer you is way too dangerous, especially if you're planning to head there with my girl…"

"C'mon dad, I can take care of myself!" Marceline growled, offended by the demon's statement.

"I know you can, sweetheart." He smiled. "But I can't help it! Traveling through a temporal wormhole is crazy! If it vanishes while you're still in there, you'll fall into the eternal void of timeless space… forever. Never dying, never getting anywhere, just darkness and oblivion all around…"

Finn clenched his fists in determination, approaching the Lord of Evil solemnly. "I'm willing to take that risk. A small chance is a small hope, and I won't lose mine!" he turned to Marceline and softened his features. "Thanks for all your help, but now it's my turn to act. I don't want you to endanger your existence for somebody that you barely know."

"Fool, I'm doin' this for your little brat! Of course I'm coming!" the old woman exclaimed. _Simon would have saved my mom… just like he saved you…! _"Milli asked me to be there for you. What experience do you have with magic and such? Of course you don't have any! That's why you need me! I'm following you to the end of the world and that's the last I wanna hear of it!"

The young man shook his head, smiling. "Then I guess there's nothing else I can do." His blue eyes were now locked with Abadeer's glowing ones. "Hunson, we've made a choice."

"So I fear…" the demon sentenced. "Follow me."

**x~x~x~x~x**

Finn finished fastening the leather straps of the pads that now covered his shoulders and knees. He then fitted a pair of brown arm-length gauntlets of the same material in his hands and adjusted a couple of matching boots on his feet. The new leather armor enveloped his normal farming outfit, it didn't provide total protection but it was better than nothing. The young man sighed as he abandoned the bench he was sitting on and got a hold of his green backpack, which was resting at his feet.

There weren't any mirrors to confirm it, but he could bet that his appearance was that of a true adventurer now. A brave inexperienced warrior who was about to walk into the overwhelming infinity of, not just the universe, but the Multiverse in itself. A task that seemed too big for someone so humble and ignorant. At least the motivation within him was stronger than his own feeble mortal muscles.

"_Flanna,"_ he thought. _"No matter what, I'm coming back…"_

In that very moment someone stepped inside and tossed an object behind him. Finn reacted instinctively and turned to catch it with his open hands. It was a leather helmet. The young man grinned, placing it on his head. The two round bear ears of his white hat popped out of it somehow, as some bangs of his blond hair did as well. Finn chose to leave the straps that hung from his new accessory untied as he tested how it felt on his head, discovering that a pair goggles came also with it.

"Well…" Hunson Abadeer said. "You look pretty decent for someone who's about to plunge headfirst into his own doom."

"I won't let that happen." Finn asseverated.

"Sure." Abadeer replied, arching one eyebrow. "Now come with me, if you are ready."

The two men walked back into the Lord of Evil's office where they retrieved the Enchiridion and then headed toward the circular chamber with the Abadeer's family pictures. Marceline was waiting for them in there, wearing a couple of new accessories as well; a chestnut-colored scarf and a pair of smaller goggles in comparison to the ones that Finn carried on his forehead.

"Now then," Hunson began, placing the Enchiridion on the floor so that the Multiverse map could expand itself and surround them. "The wormhole that leads to the Land of the Daybreak is currently connected to a simple dimension known as _Ignis Fatuus,_ which can be easily accessed with my power. It is a sandy desert, guarded by three burning suns. The heat is unbearable and it will cause you to have delusions, one way or the other."

"Is that true, Booko?" Finn asked.

The holographic man popped out of his hiding beneath the shield graphic on the Enchiridion's cover. "Yes, brave lad. Those lands are infested with living mirages that feast on the anguish of those stupid enough to dare to travel in there—no offense—Once inside, it is very important for the two of you to keep this question in mind: _What is real?_ Learn to differ between ghosts, hallucinations and the illusions of the desert to reach the wormhole without going insane. Is that clear?"

Both Finn and Marceline nodded.

"Excellent!" Booko exclaimed. "Remember, you have only eight globnicons to find and cross through the wormhole before it vanishes. In that time you must find the flower of Amaranth and bring it back, or no one will ever be able to rescue you from that timeless dimension!"

"Uh…yeah, but how much time are eight globnicons in English?" the farmer inquired, staring at the hologram in confusion.

"About six hours! Leave it or take it, young man!"

"Okay. It's okay. We can do this…" Finn mumbled, pressing his eyes closed. "Hunson, open the portal please. We're ready to go!"

The Lord of Evil slipped a piece of chalk out of his pocket and began to draw a mysterious symbol on the ground as he chanted a spell in an incomprehensible language. The mark was then engulfed by a powerful green glow and a swirling energy whirlwind was opened before them. Finn was the first one to jump in, placing his fate in the hands of every god and goddess that he knew as his body was absorbed by the dilating reality around him.

Marceline followed him, but not before sending her father one last thankful glance. Hunson Abadeer waved at her, wishing her the best of the lucks.

"Just stay safe, Little Marcy…"

* * *

**Guest**** 3–** _To tell the truth I have no idea. Originally I hadn't even planned to write a sequel until people began to ask for one. I guess I still have to wait and see where will this story take me._

**Ooobserver–**_Well then, welcome to the site! I'm glad you like Flanna, personally I'm glad I managed to build a character similar to FP, yet somehow a little different. We've seen how strong Flame Princess is, even though life hasn't been fair to her. I guess Flanna has to stand strong as well, no matter what happens in the future. Wow, thanks a lot! I'll do my best to make this sequel as good as possible! :)_

**Kurbykakes–**_Yay! :3 Guess this chapter answered some of your questions, but you'll still have to wait a little bit to see more Marcy development. I hope you like what I have planned for her!_

**Mr Daniomi–**_Thanks! It really means a lot, I don't know how to thank you for all the support that you have given me. A book? Well, not really. Maybe later on in the future. Nice to hear that! Te mando un hola desde Costa Rica!_

**StrikerXE–**_Wait, what? A Costa Rican writer? *gulps* Specifically, it doesn't have to be a brown-haired 19-year old female about 5 feet tall, right? Dang it, I'm so screwed! XP Well that's the magic formula of these series, hope to keep being able to bring you more. It's always nice to hear from you!_

**PhantomHermit–**_Quickly? Well, more or less, I'd say. I write a little bit every night before going to bed, actually. Jeez, I don't think Flanna will talk to Milli about that yet, she's still too young. I think she will buy the story of the stork delivering the babies, haha. Thanks a lot!_

**Guest 2–**_Guess you got lucky this time, sorry it took me longer now. You know, I am angry with them too, a time machine might just come in handy, especially during college! Glad you're enjoying the story! :)_

**Odradem–**_I hope that doesn't make me evil, it's not my intention to toy with your emotions...or is it? hehe... Thank you, friend! I'll keep it up as best as I can! :D_

**Guest 1–**_Muchísimas gracias, de verdad. Es realmente un honor escuchar eso. Me alegra que mi historia te esté llegando tan profundo, espero que la sigas disfrutando! :)_

**Foreteller of Three–** _Hmm... Good question, let's see what happens in the next chapter!_

**The Citadel of Truth is an invention from the fellow fanfic writer, Ooobserver and his story of the same name. If you still haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it! It's an epic Flaminn fanfiction! Guess that's it for now. As always, I'm enormously thankful for your continuous support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll see you soon with more!_  
_**


	14. Big Bear

**Tales of the Alternate Universe: Amaranth**

**Chapter 14: Big Bear**

The hero slid down, dragged by the running sand in which his feet were sinking. Before him, a giant armored monster with six fast legs and two sharp pincers rising in front of it, hissed and leaped forward in an attempt to exterminate him. A long poisonous tail stalked the young man from behind, who found himself waving his golden sword back and forth in desperation. There was no way out, moving in the sand was an arduous task, always gliding down, sinking and falling. He saw a faint glimmer of hope when his feet took him into the air, letting him land upon the fierce creature. The warrior glimpsed an opening of weak flesh in a gap between the wriggling exoskeleton and buried his blade within it, obtaining a deafening cry from the scorpion beneath him in consequence.

But he never saw it coming, and he never considered that the monster's tail would still be there to whip his calves and make him stumble down, where the deadly pressure of a gripping claw awaited for him. The hero screamed in pain, struggling to breathe. It was then that his blue eyes noticed the thin wicked needle on the tip the beast's tail, dripping venom as it lunged towards him. In a moment his chest had been stabbed, pinned deeply into the heart. An instant kill.

And Milli woke up with a shriek, sweating and trembling, her eyes full of tears. The little girl scurried immediately to her mother's side, seeking for comfort and solace. Flanna's senses left their slumber as soon as she felt how her child whimpered and shivered on her chest. She gently pulled herself up into a sitting position, trying to calm her daughter down.

"I saw daddy die!" Milli cried, hyperventilating in her fear. "There was a monster, mommy! A monster!"

Still as an inexperienced mother who had always been left to deal with her nightmares on her own, Flanna rocked the scared child in her arms, caressing her hair, kissing her head, whispering softly into her ear, anything that could bring her back to reality and make her see that it had only been a dream. She hoped this would comfort her. Milli didn't use to have nightmares often and when she did, Finn was the one who knew what to say and what to do about it. Sometimes the young mother wished to be more sensible towards these kind of situations, but what could she do when a busy man of wealth had been the only one to raise her?

"Hush Milli… It's okay, there are no monsters out there to get ya…" Flanna said. "I know your father is doing fine wherever he is. There's no need to worry, he's a strong hero, remember? It's the monsters who should fear him."

Her daughter nodded, still crying softly on her breast. Flanna felt Milli's breathing slowing itself down, her muscles relaxing. She was calm now. Jake arrived just in time to push the girl gently with his nose, making her stare at him to lick her wet cheeks. The small girl focused her full attention on the playful dog, rolling down across the bed with him, smiling…finally.

Flanna leaned backwards with an exhausted sigh, hoping this wouldn't become a routine. Real life was already hard enough for them to have to deal with recurring nightmares as well. The young woman decided to leave that train of thought behind and laid her green eyes on the window. The sun was rising for the fourth time since she assaulted Mackie Mann's hideout as the Huntress. To think that she still had to rescue the Destiny Gang was one of the things that were eating away her conscience. However, the moment to act wasn't going to happen today either… at least not until she felt confident enough to jump into the blue, knowing that she is expecting a child.

Then, someone began to knock on her door and Flanna walked out of bed, covering her body with a thick blanket to protect herself from the cold, as she was only wearing her nightgown. Jake ran by her side, barking in excitement. When they arrived to the living room, the golden canine and the little girl climbed onto the sofa to gaze through the window, while Flanna opened the door. A cool breeze was felt coming in as the red-haired woman found herself face to face with her parents-in-law.

"Mrs. and Mr. Mertens…? Ben?" Flanna stammered. "Is…something the matter?"

"Dear," the middle-aged woman sighed in sadness. "We can't wait any longer… It's time to go…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

She never thought she'd see the streets of Junktown as crowded as they used to be once again. It didn't matter if the people wandering through them were seeking their way out of the now ruined town, for Miss Bonnibel it was nice to think that —only for a moment— life was the same as yesterday. Like when she first heard the rumor coming out from the happy townsfolk as they passed by: _"The Mertens kid is getting married!"_ they would say. _"So he's finally dared to propose to the city gal? Guess I'm glad for 'em…!" _And the school teacher couldn't help to pretend that she hadn't heard anything as she ran back in excitement to her house, only to rummage through her old files and cry tears of happiness over the negative reports of her two troublesome students.

Those long gone days seemed like they were going to last forever. In a place as small, poor, and distant as Junktown, how could there ever be any troubles? How couldn't life just follow the same old routine everyday for the rest of their lives? Bonnibel sighed, a puff of white leaving her cold lips. Perhaps she just had to accept that the events of five years ago weren't going to come back. She continued moving forward, through the present time, through life and through the road ahead. Everywhere the teacher looked she glimpsed a poster offering a voluptuous reward in exchange of the Huntress' capture.

A criminal had never caused so much stir since Big Destiny left the scene. What could have been of that robust lawbreaker? Nobody had seen him after the day young Milli Mertens was born. He simply vanished, leaving his gang without a leader to guide them. Up until that day, even Bonnibel B. Hamilton was curious about Big-D's whereabouts. The curl-haired woman shook her head in amusement. Why did she care? He was just another fugitive, just like that Huntress. It drove her crazy to know that there was actually a common woman behind that mask, trying to play hero and risking her well-being for a place that could no longer be saved.

"Fool…!" Miss Bonnibel whispered in annoyance, tearing down one of the posters with Huntress' picture on it. "What's she gonna get with all of this? I bet one good day she'll be found on the edge of the road, dead. This town doesn't need a hero, it needs an exorcism!"

"Come gather around _me_…!" even the voice of Choose Bruce could be heard once again, echoing through the deserted alleys. "For I'm about to tell ya, before I'm forced to leave Junktown forever, about the night in which the Huntress set me _free!_"

"There I was, locked up in strange room, in a strange place… waiting and trembling _fearfully_, until she appeared and swept me with her _beautifully!_ Yes, perhaps some people will tell ya that the Huntress is a menace, a threat for our _society!_ But now I ask you: who's destroying our land and pushing us out of it as in an _irony? _Because as far as I know, the real enemy isn't risking its life under the protective veil of a _mask!_ It is a simple woman; maybe your daughter, maybe your sister… a commoner like you and me, the one who has turned the art of assaulting into a noble _task!"_

"And there's the people who try to justify an act of stupidity with embellishing words…" Bonnibel muttered as she passed the merchant by. "When will anyone in this town get real?"

It wasn't that she was a bitter person; Miss Bonnibel simply preferred to believe in facts rather than fantasies. The idealism brought by some random masked daredevil annoyed her deeply. Heroes belonged only in the kids' minds, nowhere else. The teacher continued to reflect on this as she continued making her way towards Milli and Flanna's home. She was going to cook for them as she did every morning since Finn left, otherwise they would end up eating junk food to avoid starving themselves. Bonnibel couldn't allow that to happen, especially not after confirming that Flanna was indeed pregnant.

She felt it was her duty to look after them, and as she approached the small residence in the farming fields, her ears caught what seemed to be an intense arguing. Shortly, Bonnibel found out who was Flanna discussing with: Finn's parents. Just what could they possibly want that early in the morning?

"Please I'm not asking you to come with us just to bother you, Flanna!" Mrs. Mertens explained. "I'm doing it because I want to make sure that you and my grandchildren will survive the winter! Look around you; the wind keeps growing stronger and the snow colder! And there isn't much left out there for you to eat!"

The young woman before her tensed her features and backed away a few steps. "I-I understand you're worried, but… I just know Finn will be here anytime soon… and I gotta stay to receive him when he does."

"Yeah, Flanna but…!" Now it was Ben, Finn's younger brother the one trying to meddle in the situation. "You are sick and… your baby! What about your baby? You gotta think about that too! Come with us, Finn would have wanted it that way!"

"Aren't you adorable?" Flanna chuckled, trying to calm her own temper down. "Please, I know it's for the best…but I just can't…I can't leave, you see?_ Who would save the Destiny Gang and prove that Mackie Mann is a fraud, if it isn't me? _No. I'm staying here."

"And I'll be here to take care you, hardhead fool." Said Miss Bonnibel as she joined the group. "Although I will only ask you one condition in exchange."

"Name it." the red-haired woman replied.

"A least think of Milli, okay?" her teacher whispered, turning her eyes towards the window from where the little girl was staring at them in curiosity. "I don't think she's gonna do well when the weather becomes worse. She's gonna suffer from cold and hunger. Let her leave with her grandparents, where she'll be fine."

Flanna considered Bonnibel's proposition with severity. Deep within she knew that Milli didn't deserve to endure the ordeals coming ahead. Perhaps a change of environment could distract her from thinking about how much she missed her father and save her from having to deal with any more nightmares.

"Even as her mother I can't offer my kid a safe place to stay…" the young woman admitted sorrowfully. "I just want the best for her…" her green eyes met Mrs. Mertens' blue ones in silence. "Fine, take Milli with you…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

"Where are we goin', mom?" Lil' Flare asked as her mother grasped her hand and led her outside into the snowy landscape.

Mr. Mertens was waiting in front of their porch, seating on his old trusty wagon, pulled by Bartram and a skinny horse. Ben's head popped out of the white canvas cover that would shelter the vehicle from the inclement weather and he smiled in a friendly manner at his niece. Mrs. Mertens was also waiting inside the wagon, warming her shoulders with a pink shawl.

"Oh, it's just a small ride…" Flanna answered as she placed her daughter inside the wooden cart. Jake hopped inside as well. "You've got your stuff? Is Hambo with you?"

"Yeah. But why do I have to carry all these things if we're only goin' for a small ride, mom?"

"Because I won't be coming with you."

Milli's eyes grew wide-open with worry. "Then I don't wanna go!"

"I'm sorry, but it's not up to you to choose." Her mother said, stroking her head softly. She pulled the little girl for a brief moment, giving her a small hug and kissing her goodbye. "Listen to Ben and your grandparents, I know you'll be a good girl."

"But…mom…" the child whimpered, her eyes flooding with tears once again.

Her young uncle placed his hand on her small shoulder and grinned, trying to calm her down. "Don't worry, Milli! It's gonna be a lot of fun! We're goin' on a trip, kinda like an adventure!"

"I don't want an adventure! I want mom!" Milli cried.

She slipped out of Ben's grasp and hopped out of the wagon, running towards Flanna once again. Her mother couldn't help to crouch down and receive the young girl in her arms, feeling how her own eyes began to tear up as well. She embraced her small body tightly. Why did it have to hurt so much?

"Please don't make this harder than it already is, Milli." Flanna whispered, cradling her up.

Lil' Flare gripped her neck tightly, never wanting to let go. "No! First daddy leaves me, and now it's you…! It ain't fair! It ain't fair!" she cried.

"I'm sorry. It's for the best…" her mother said, heart-broken inside. "Goodbye…"

She forced Milli to let go of her neck and handed her to Miss Bonnibel, who took her back to the wagon. Ben received Milli, this time procuring to hold her firmly so that she wouldn't run away once more. The golden bulldog tilted his head, peeking outside as the cart began to advance. Jake stared at his old home and Flanna getting smaller in the distance. He leaned down and moaned quietly, feeling the urge to comfort his owner's wife. Jake ignored it however, obeying Flanna's command to stick by Milli's side.

"You should've gone with them." Miss Bonnibel said, facing Flanna sternly. "You know as well as I do that this wasn't the right choice."

"Why did you stay with me then?" her student asked, holding back her tears.

"Would I have been able to change your mind anyway, Flanna?"

"No."

"That's you, Flanna." Bonnibel asseverated. "Always acting by instinct and impulse, never listening to reason. Almost like that Huntress freak."

Flanna stood firmly for as long as she could, but when the wagon disappeared in the distance, taking another piece of her heart with it, and as her teacher walked inside the small cabin… she collapsed onto her knees, crying.

**x~x~x~x~x**

They covered a long distance, traveling in complete silence, as the start of their journey to the city hadn't been an enthusiastic one. The road ahead was the only way out of Junktown and it was there where the Mertens family stopped to meet Miss Teana Hanks and Mr. Gibb's wagon. They had agreed to travel together for both company and protection. Perhaps Tea Hanks joyful personality would lift the gloomy mood that had fallen upon them.

The elderly couple arrived some moments later. They all greeted each other, sharing hugs and hand shakes. Milli, however, didn't participate in this. She had fallen deeply asleep, snuggled onto Jake. It was Finn's mother the one explaining why hadn't Flanna joined them, mentioning also how hard it had been for the little girl be separated from her mother.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that…" Miss Hanks said. "I know! Once we arrive to the city—!"

"You'll bake her a pie?" Mr. Gibb snickered, teasing his lady.

"No!" the old lady complained. "It won't be just a pie! It will be The Apple Pie! And she won't have to share it with anybody! The poor thing… I hope she feels better when she wakes up…"

"Yeah…" Ben added. "Uh… Before we leave and everything… Dad, can you wait for me for a moment? I need to use the toilet."

"Again?" Mr. Mertens groaned, rolling his eyes.

"I told you to stop drinking cocoa when we were about to leave this morning!" Mrs. Mertens scowled, taking a seat next to her husband. "But do you ever listen? No! Of course not!"

"Chill out, mom…! Jeez!" the boy sighed as he jumped out of the wagon, leaving Milli alone.

She listened attentively to the adults talking to each other, faking her sleep. Once she had made sure that no one was focused on the back of the cart, young Milli hopped off and ran into the woods. Jake perked up at this, his ears catching the sound of her small footsteps running away. The dog let out a single bark as he too jumped off the vehicle and followed her into the wilderness.

He lost the little girl from sight; fortunately his nose was as sharp as when he was only puppy. Jake began to sniff the ground, burying his face in the snow. Her scent led him deeper into the woods, until his ears caught the sound of a branch breaking in half, a thud, and then Milli's crying. The old dog spotted Lil' Flare sitting by an old pine tree, sobbing and weeping in frustration. Jake approached her slowly, hoping to not startle her. His nose perceived the smell of blood and he noticed with worry that Milli had scrapped her knee.

"Wah! I…want…home…!" the girl cried, too loudly for Jake's taste. "My knee hurts…and bleeds… Daddy! Mommy! Pick me up…!"

"Bouw…" the golden bulldog moaned, rubbing his head against her chest in an attempt to soothe her.

This only caused Milli to realize that he was there and strangle him tightly. "Oh Jake! I'm so dumb! I should've listened to mom when she told me to stay with Ben... Now I'm hurt and lost…"

Jake barked, freeing himself from her embrace and ran excitedly to the direction he had just come from. Milli understood his message, but as she wiped her running nose with her forearm, the small girl shook her head in a negative response.

"Not goin' back there! I'm going back to mom!"

"Wuh?!" the dog groaned, slipping on the ice. If he could speak, Jake would have certainly affirmed that Flanna wasn't the only obstinate human around.

"Don't look at me like that!" Milli complained, trying to stand up despite of the strong stinging pain on her knee. "I know…what I'm doin'!" she tried to make a step forward, but she immediately found herself falling back on the snow. "Wish I knew where I'm goin', though…"

Her green eyes were about to tear up again until a light orange glow warmed her small nose. Lil' Flare rolled her eyes upwards, a wide smile gracing her pale features. A phantasmal orb was floating above her, displaying a combination of golden, red and orange colors in its glow. However, the little girl didn't seem frightened about it. On the contrary, she was glad to see it, as if she somehow knew it from before. Jake didn't bark or howl at it either. He just walked back to Milli's side and sat, staring at the glowing orb.

"It's you!" Milli exclaimed. "Why did you have to leave me last night? I had a nightmare about my dad… and you weren't there save him this time…"

The ghostly sphere remained silent.

"I'm trying to find my way back home…" the girl continued. "Can you take me back to mom?"

The orange orb floated up and down and then flew into the woods, stopping as it waited for Milli to come. Lil' Flare got back on her feet with Jake's help and began to chase her mysterious friend. On the way they found a small hill that acted as an obstacle for the four-year-old. Each time she tried to climb it, the slippery snow would make her roll back to the ground. Jake had to push her from behind, giving small thumbs to her butt with his head as they advanced.

The girl ended up lying on the snow with her clothes full of ice, but at least she had made it to the top. The glowing sphere spun around her, making her giggle and then floated toward a rocky road on the left. Milli was ready to continue following her guide's instructions, but that was until she spotted a frozen lake right beneath the other side of the hill.

"Look! I know that lake, it's not far from home!" the girl said in excitement. "We can walk on it and get to mom much faster!"

Her ghostly friend flew in front of her, bouncing up and down as if telling her that it was a bad idea to cross that frozen lake. Did Milli pay any attention to its warning? Not even a bit. The red-haired child leapt onto the ice in a hurry, chased by a very altered Jake. Her small feet took her beyond the shore, almost reaching the other end. However, Lil' Flare never realized how thin was the cold layer she was running on, and when she did…it was already too late.

The ice cracked and broke itself apart, drifting aimlessly into the frozen waters. Both Milli and Jake began to panic, seeing how the shore that would lead them back home grew distant as the ice crumbled beneath their feet. Then, the bulldog decided to try a move and hopped onto another chunk of ice that was floating nearby. His confidence was boosted by his successful accomplishment, and so the dog continued to jump from one ice block to the other, until he reached the safety of the solid ground.

But Milli never found the courage to follow Jake's steps. She remained static, watching how every broken chunk of ice sank eventually into the lake. Terrified, the girl laid her eyes on the improvised raft that she was riding. The cold water was starting to gather around the edges. She turned towards Jake and he barked and hopped, in an attempt to encourage her to jump, but she wasn't brave enough to do it.

Lil' Flare tried searching for the orb that had been accompanying her all this time, it was nowhere to be seen. An overwhelming fear took over her and she did the only thing a scared child could do, cry. Cry for her father and mother to come and rescue her. But Finn never appeared, and neither did Flanna… If only she had obeyed her mother, she'd be safe and warm with her grandparents. How foolish had she been…

"Hang on, kiddo!" A deep, strong voice shouted.

Milli felt how the ice block she was standing on bounced down all of a sudden, pushed by a new weight. And then, a heavy hand grasped her by the collar, pulling her into the furry embrace of a hairy giant. The little girl raised her gaze to meet the face of her savior, but what she saw was more like a humanoid bear, smiling confidently at her from underneath the brown pelt of a dead grizzly.

Milli felt afraid of him at first, but then she noticed the phantasmal orb floating above his big head, and she knew who had brought him to save her. The mysterious man ran across the shattered ice in a swift brave manner, bringing nothing but admiration into Lil' Flare's eyes. He made it to the shore in seconds, where he crouched down to release her from his embrace.

This let Milli detail him better; his eyes and nose were hidden beneath the snout of a long dead bear. His buff body was covered by probably the same animal's pelt, like a robe held onto his waist by a leather belt. Even his feet were made of bear-skin, making them look as paws. He was also wearing a necklace, made of claws and a long sharp fang that acted as the main trinket. Only his tanned muscled-arms were completely exposed, revealing that he was indeed human and not the famous Sasquatch.

"W-who are you?" the girl asked shyly.

"Who am I?" the strange man whispered. "I am the King of the Forest! The Almighty Boss of every furry creature and beast in here! I am… Big Bear!" he then tilted his head and proceeded to examine the child before him more carefully.

"Grrr…! Woof!" growled Jake, jumping from out of nowhere only to bury his teeth into Big Bear's rear end.

"Ahg! Dang it all!" the beast-man shrieked, punching the dog away. "Why you—?! Wait a sec! I know you! You're that accursed yellow beast that used to always wander with the Heroboy and the Firefly!" he then turned back to Milli. "Now that I think about it, you look a lot like the Firefly… who are you?!"

"M-Milli Mertens…" she stammered, somewhat startled by Big Bear's violent reaction. "How do you know Jake?"

"Long story. Not gonna talk about it. Just wanna know why is Flanna's kiddo wandering on her own by the woods. Don't you know it's dangerous? You could have died in there!"

The severity of his words brought tears back into Milli's eyes. She didn't even want to imagine what would have happened is no one had come to save her. How would have her parents and friends reacted? This had been by far the worst day of her life, she had never felt so terrified and lost. Instinctively, Lil' Flare ran towards Big Bear and hugged one of his legs, crying. This shocked the wild man, who didn't even know how to deal with a kid in need of affection.

"No…Uh…goddamn it… Just… Please don't do that, little girl…" Big Bear begged, patting her head slightly. "C'mon, you're embarrassing me!" he tried to push her away, but Milli simply shifted over his chest and clung onto it harder. "Agh… Alright… Let go of me, and I'll take you to your mommy and daddy, is that what you want?"

"Yes!" Milli cried.

"Of all people, why does it always have to be me?" the human bear muttered, helping the red-haired girl climb onto his shoulders. "One tries to run away from trouble…live in communion with nature…and what happens? Mini Firefly appears to turn your life upside-down…!"

Lil' Flare ignored the furry man's rambling, snuggling between the ears of his bear mask. She was exhausted, tired of running and crying all day long. The ghostly sphere had disappeared once again. Milli turned her sight back to the lake and smiled to the spectral figure of a woman, waving goodbye at her in the distance.

"Thank you…" Milli whispered, fading into her sleep. "Grandma…"


End file.
